Pakistan PM Departs for Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey; Army Chief Lands in Tehran

Pakistan launched parallel diplomatic missions on April 15 aimed at arranging a second round of US-Iran peace talks. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif departed Islamabad for an April 15–18 tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey — including the Antalya Diplomacy Forum — to coordinate support for resumed negotiations. Simultaneously, Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir flew to Tehran to deliver a US message directly to Iranian leadership and lay the groundwork for a second round before the US-Iran ceasefire expires around April 22. Pakistan's foreign ministry confirmed a second US-Iran meeting remained the objective but no date had yet been set. For the Af-Pak theater, the Urumqi non-escalation framework continued to hold, with both Afghanistan and Pakistan refraining from major military actions. The second round of Af-Pak talks in Urumqi — originally described as due 'end of April' — remained on the calendar, but its preparation was overshadowed by Pakistan's focus on the Iran track. The Torkham border crossing remained open for commerce and deportation of undocumented Afghans.