Dar meets Araghchi on SCO summit sidelines, stresses 'sincere implementation' of Islamabad MoU

Dar meets Araghchi on SCO summit sidelines, stresses 'sincere implementation' of Islamabad MoU.

Key points

• News Desk Published September 1, 2026 Updated September 1, 2026 12: 00pm.
• Apart from Dar, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar were accompanying the prime minister.
• The MoU, signed in June, provided a framework for ending the war that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
• Other leaders from China, Iran, Turkiye, Russia, and India are additionally in Kyrgyzstan for the two-day summit.
• According to FO, PM Shehbaz will additionally hold bilateral discussions with the Kyrgyz president on the "entire spectrum of Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan relations" on September 2.

News Desk Published September 1, 2026 Updated September 1, 2026 12: 00pm. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday and stressed that the "sincere implementation" of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was the only way forward against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, according to the Foreign Office (FO).

They shared these views as they met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State session in Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, where Dar arrived a day ago after a day-long visit to Turkiye. He has joined Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. This person is due to address the summit.

Meanwhile, the FO described the session between Dar and Araghchi as a "warm exchange".

It remarked the two ministers exchanged views on bilateral relations and regional developments and reaffirmed the importance of continued engagement.

"The DPM underscored that dialogue and diplomacy remain essential to promoting peace and stability in the region, and that sincere implementation by both parties to the conflict of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding of June 2026 remains the only way forward, " the FO remarked in an official note on X.

Meanwhile, the MoU, signed in June, provided a framework for ending the war that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. It was a result of mediation efforts spearheaded by Pakistan and others.

In April, Pakistan additionally brokered a ceasefire between the US and Iran.

Notably, the April ceasefire put an end to the most intense fighting, but sporadic attacks, mainly around the Strait of Hormuz, have dimmed the prospects of a final peace agreement.

Notably, a day ago, PM Shehbaz had met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the summit in Bishkek and underscored the need to build on the understandings reached under the Islamabad MoU.

On his part, Pezeshkian appreciated Pakistan's "consistent diplomatic efforts for regional peace and security", a Prime Minister's Office statement detailing the session stated.

While DPM Dar held a gathering with Belarusian FM Maxim Ryzhenkov today, the prime minister additionally met the Uzbek president as part of his bilateral engagements on Monday.

Dar and Ryzhenkov discussed bilateral relations and regional developments, and exchanged views on matters of mutual interest, FO remarked.

PM Shehbaz had reached Kyrgyzstan for the summit on Monday, with the PMO saying in an official note that he would address the heads of states gathering and "present Pakistan's stance on various regional and global issues".

He was welcomed by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Nurgozhoevich Japarov upon his arrival at the summit's venue on Tuesday, and afterwards posed with other world leaders for a group photo.

Other leaders from China, Iran, Turkiye, Russia, and India are additionally in Kyrgyzstan for the two-day summit. The regional bloc, which additionally includes Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus, is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

During the visit, Pakistan is due to assume the chairmanship of the SCO's Council of Heads of State for 2026-27, with next year's CHS summit to be hosted by Islamabad.

Taken together, the developments around dar meets Araghchi on SCO summit sidelines, stresses ' sincere implementation' of Islamabad point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.