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Historic Pakistan visit
Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shibani began a high-level visit to Pakistan on Thursday, described as the first official trip by a senior Syrian official to the country in 19 years.
“the first official trip by a senior Syrian official to the country in 19 years”
Al Shibani met Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday and was scheduled to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif alongside other senior officials, as Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry reported the two sides discussed ways to further advance bilateral co-operation in areas of mutual interest.
The visit was framed as an effort to strengthen trade and defence ties under Syria’s leadership, with Al Shibani expressing hope the trip would prove itself “historic for bilateral co-operation”.
The National also tied the timing to Pakistan’s condemnation of recent Israeli air strikes targeting the Abu Al Duhur airbase in Syria’s Idlib province on Tuesday, saying there were no casualties according to Syria’s state-run Ekhbariya TV.
In parallel, the Boston Herald reported that Syria’s foreign minister visited Pakistan as the country sought to defuse tensions between the United States and Iran, with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejecting U.S. threats of “crushing economic measures” against Iran.
Condemnations and denials
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the two sides held “in-depth discussions on regional developments” and reaffirmed “the deep-rooted brotherly ties between Pakistan and Syria,” with Dar also saying the two men discussed ways to further advance bilateral co-operation.
In response to the Israeli strike on the Abu Al-Duhur airbase, Pakistan issued a formal statement condemning the attack as a “flagrant violation of international law” and warned that such “provocative actions” could further undermine regional peace and stability.
The Boston Herald reported that Turkey denied that a Turkish military delegation had visited the Abu Duhur base before Israeli airstrikes, quoting Turkey’s defense ministry: “We state that no Turkish military delegation was present at the base before or during Israel’s strike on the Abu al‑Zuhur air base,”.
Syria’s Foreign Minister’s Pakistan visit also unfolded alongside the Boston Herald’s account that Israeli strikes targeted the Abu Duhur base early on Tuesday, causing damage but no casualties, and that Syrian officials said a Turkish delegation visited the base before the Israeli strike to review rehabilitation work.
The National added that Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the two sides also held in-depth discussions on regional developments, while Syria’s Foreign Ministry said on Pakistan’s Independence Day last Friday that it “reaffirmed Syria’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Pakistan”.
What’s at stake next
The National described Al Shibani’s trip as an “important step towards further enhancing Pakistan-Syria relations and advancing co-operation,” with the Syrian Foreign Ministry saying Pakistan’s Independence Day statement reaffirmed Syria’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations.
“an “important step towards further enhancing Pakistan-Syria relations”
The Boston Herald’s wider Middle East roundup placed the visit in a context of U.S.-Iran tensions, noting that Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said U.S. threats would “bring more failures,” and that Trump had promised “Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale.”
On the Syria file, the sources tied the immediate diplomatic stakes to the Abu Al-Duhur airbase strike in Idlib province, with Syria’s state-run Ekhbariya TV saying there were no casualties and Pakistan warning the attack could undermine regional peace and stability.
The National also stated that since the toppling of former Syrian despot Bashar Al Assad, Israel has seized territory in south-west Syria and struck much of the Syrian army's heavy weapons and equipment, while Pakistan rejected any foreign military intervention or attempts to overthrow Al Assad by force.
In the same reporting stream, the Boston Herald said Pakistan’s political and military leadership remains in contact with both Iran and United States over efforts to de-escalate tensions and push for the resumption of talks after a 60-day deadline under a June memorandum of understanding expired.
