Syrian foreign minister arrives in Islamabad on official visit

Syrian foreign minister arrives in Islamabad on official visit. News Desk Published August 20, 2026 Updated August 20, 2026 10: 02am.

Key points

• Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani arrived in Islamabad early on Thursday on an official visit.
• The visit comes as Syria's transitional leadership pursues regional and international engagement after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in 2024.
• "Upon arrival, the distinguished guest was received by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' additional secretary (Middle East), " it remarked.
• The Foreign Office (FO) shared pictures of the visiting minister arriving in Islamabad on the social media platform X.
• It additionally stated the visit would mark an significant step towards further enhancing bilateral relations and cooperation between Pakistan and Syria.

For context, the Foreign Office (FO) shared pictures of the visiting minister arriving in Islamabad on the social media platform X.

Notably, the visit comes as Syria's transitional leadership pursues regional and international engagement after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in 2024.

For context, a day earlier, the FO remarked the two sides would hold in-depth discussions throughout the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, review avenues for further enhancing bilateral cooperation, and exchange views on regional and international developments.

Meanwhile, the visit is the first by a Syrian foreign minister since Walid al-Mouallem travelled to Pakistan in May 2007 and the first since the change of administration in Damascus.

Notably, the visit additionally comes after Pakistan on Wednesday strongly condemned an "unprovoked" attack carried out by Israel on an airbase in Syria, saying such acts had the potential to "further undermine regional peace and stability".

Syria's state-run Ekhbariya television, citing a military source, remarked on Tuesday that Israel carried out eight airstrikes on the runway and storage facilities at the Abu al-Duhur base near Aleppo in northwest Syria. A separate military source and a civilian who lives near the base remarked there were no casualties.

"Such provocative actions constitute a flagrant violation of international law and have the potential to further undermine regional peace and stability, " the FO remarked.

"Pakistan expresses its unwavering solidarity with the brotherly people of Syria, and reiterates its full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as peace and prosperity of the Syrian Arab Republic."

In short, syrian foreign minister arrives in Islamabad on official visit is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.