Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Lachin, Azerbaijan, on Tuesday for the Pakistan-Turkey-Azerbaijan Trilateral Summit, the third stop on a five-day tour focused on regional tensions and ties following a military escalation after unprovoked Indian aggression.
The PM concluded his two-day bilateral visit to Iran earlier in the day and departed for Azerbaijan. Following his visits to Turkiye, Iran, and Azerbaijan, he will proceed to Tajikistan.
At Lachin Airport, the prime minister was received by Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Qasim Mohiuddin, and other diplomatic staff, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi are accompanying the prime minister.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, along with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, will participate in the Trilateral Summit.
The prime minister is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with President Ilham Aliyev.
The four-nation tour follows a military stand-off between Pakistan and India. The latest escalation in the decades-old Pakistan-India rivalry began on May 7 when at least 31 civilians were martyred in unprovoked Indian strikes in different areas of Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
In retaliation, Pakistan downed its six fighter jets, including three Rafale, and dozens of drones. During the four-day standoff, at least 11 troops and 40 civilians were martyred at the hands of India.
Both nations halted their worst fighting in nearly three decades after agreeing to a ceasefire on May 10, following four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes, which took place after India launched unprovoked attacks on Islamabad.
Pakistan has intensified its diplomatic efforts to expose Indian propaganda and counter its hostile narrative at international forums.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will also lead a high-level delegation to brief world leaders, parliamentarians, and international media in various countries about Pakistan’s peace-focused stance.
