PM Shehbaz speaks with the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received a telephone call from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio this evening, the Prime Minister's Office said on Friday.
During their warm and cordial conversation, MP Shehbaz conveyed his best wishes to President Donald Trump.
He praised the President for his bold leadership and appreciated Secretary Rubio's proactive diplomacy that played a pivotal role in helping Pakistan and India to arrive at a ceasefire understanding and averting a major catastrophe between the two nuclear-armed states.
The prime minister added that President Trump's positive statements about Pakistan were most encouraging for a durable peace in South Asia, which could only be made possible by initiating meaningful dialogue between Pakistan and India.
PM Shehbaz asserts Pakistan's 'right to act in self-defense' in call with US Secretary of State
In this context, he reaffirmed Pakistan's willingness for talks with India on all outstanding issues, including Jammu & Kashmir, the Indus Water Treaty, trade and counter-terrorism.
The situation in the Middle East, particularly the Iran-Israel crisis, was also discussed, where the prime minister emphasised the need to find a peaceful resolution to this grave crisis through dialogue and diplomacy.
He stated that Pakistan was ready to play a constructive role in any effort for peace in the current situation, which was deeply worrying, not only for the region but for the entire world.
While recalling President Trump's focus on trade, the Prime Minister stated that Pakistan and the U.S. needed to work together to advance mutually beneficial cooperation across a wide range of areas, including trade, investment, energy, mining, rare earth metals, and IT.
On security and counter-terrorism, the Prime Minister reaffirmed Pakistan's resolve to deal with the menace of terrorism from the entire country, particularly the threat from BLA, TTP and other militant groups.
In this regard, Secretary Rubio appreciated Pakistan's counter-terrorism efforts and assured Pakistan of full cooperation by the U.S. in countering all such threats.
The prime minister noted, with great satisfaction, the most cordial and productive discussion between President Trump and Chief of the Army Staff, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, in Washington, earlier this week.
Both the Prime Minister and Secretary Rubio agreed that talks between their two countries must now be translated into tangible actions, across all areas.
The prime minister also stressed the need for frequent high-level engagements to build upon this positive momentum in Pakistan-U.S. bilateral relations.
Trump praises Field Marshal over ceasefire with India
In this regard, he reiterated his invitation to President Trump to undertake an official visit to Pakistan and said that he, too, was looking forward to meeting President Trump at his earliest convenience.
The prime minister also reiterated his invitation to Secretary Rubio to visit Pakistan at an early date.
Thanking the prime minister for receiving his telephone call, Secretary Rubio shared his desire to enhance bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and the U.S. across all areas of shared interest.
He also appreciated Pakistan's resolve to uphold the ceasefire understanding with India, as well as its sustained efforts for peace in the region.
In this context, he encouraged Pakistan, which enjoys excellent ties with Iran, to continue playing its role in the ongoing peace efforts with Iran.
He further noted that the U.S. was committed to working closely with Pakistan to promote regional as well as global peace and stability.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
40 minutes ago
- Business Recorder
US B-2 bombers involved in Iran strikes, U.S. official says
WASHINGTON: US B-2 bombers were involved in strikes on Iran's nuclear sites announced by President Donald Trump on Saturday, a U.S. official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. Trump says US forces bombed Iran nuclear sites; says 'Fordow is gone' Reuters had reported earlier on Saturday the movement of B-2 bombers, which can be equipped to carry massive bombs that experts say would be ideal to strike the sites.
Express Tribune
an hour ago
- Express Tribune
Israeli fire kills 8 near aid centres
Palestinians at al-Shifa Hospital react over the bodies of their relatives killed by Israeli fire near an aid distribution centre in central Gaza, June 11 [Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters] Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli fire killed at least 12 people on Saturday, including eight who had gathered near aid distribution sites in the Palestinian territory suffering severe food shortages. Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that three people were killed by gunfire from Israeli forces while waiting to collect aid in the southern Gaza Strip. In a separate incident, Bassal said five people were killed in a central area known as the Netzarim corridor, where thousands of Palestinians have gathered daily in the hope of receiving food rations. The Israeli army told AFP it was "looking into" both incidents, which according to the civil defence agency occurred near distribution centres run by the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Its operations began at the end of May -- when Israel eased a total aid blockade that lasted more than two months -- but have been marred by chaotic scenes and neutrality concerns. UN agencies and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the foundation over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives. The health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said on Saturday that 450 people had been killed and 3,466 others injured while seeking aid in near-daily incidents since late May. The Israeli blockade imposed in early March amid an impasse in truce negotiations had produced famine-like conditions across Gaza, according to rights groups. Israel's military has pressed its operations across Gaza more than 20 months since an unprecedented Hamas attack triggered the devastating war, and even as attention has shifted to the war with Iran since June 13. Bassal told AFP that three people were killed on Saturday in an Israeli air strike on Gaza City in the north, and one more in another strike on the southern city of Khan Yunis. Israeli forces also demolished more than 10 houses in Gaza City "by detonating them with explosives", he added. Israeli restrictions on media in the Gaza Strip and difficulties in accessing some areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by rescuers and authorities. Earlier this week, the UN's World Health Organization warned that Gaza's health system was at a "breaking point", pleading for fuel to be allowed into the territory to keep its remaining hospitals running.
Express Tribune
an hour ago
- Express Tribune
Pakistan to recommend Trump for Nobel Peace Prize
U.S. President Donald Trump gives a thumbs up as he walks on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 25, 2025. PHOTO:REUTER Listen to article Pakistan said on Saturday it would recommend US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, an accolade that he has said he craves, for his work in helping to resolve the recent conflict between Pakistan and India. Some analysts in Pakistan said the move might persuade Trump to think again about potentially joining Israel in striking Iran's nuclear facilities. Pakistan has condemned Israel's action as a violation of international law and a threat to regional stability. Pakistan agrees that US diplomatic intervention ended the fighting, but India says it was a bilateral agreement between the two militaries. "President Trump demonstrated great strategic foresight and stellar statesmanship through robust diplomatic engagement with both Islamabad and New Delhi, which de-escalated a rapidly deteriorating situation," Pakistan said. "This intervention stands as a testament to his role as a genuine peacemaker." Governments can nominate people for the Nobel Peace Prize. There was no immediate response from Washington. A spokesperson for the Indian government did not respond to a request for comment. Trump has repeatedly said that he's willing to mediate between Pakistan and India over the disputed Kashmir region, their main source of enmity. In a social media post on Friday, Trump gave a long list of conflicts he said he had resolved, including India and Pakistan and the Abraham accords in his first term between Israel and some Muslim-majority countries. He added: "I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do." Mushahid Hussain, a former chair of the Senate Defence Committee in Pakistan's parliament, suggested nominating Trump for the peace prize was justified. "Trump is good for Pakistan," he said. "If this panders to Trump's ego, so be it. All the European leaders have been sucking up to him big time." But the move was not universally applauded in Pakistan, where Trump's support for Israel's war in Gaza has inflamed passions.
