PM Shehbaz chairs meeting on regional , national security as tensions rise in Middle East

tribune.com.pk · Mar 1, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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FO briefs evacuation of citizens being facilitated through Azerbaijan to ensure their safe return Web Desk March 01, 2026 3 min read Photo: Radio Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high‑level meeting on Sunday to review regional and national security issues, including the evacuation of Pakistani citizens from Iran amid escalating tensions following the United States (US) and Israel’s attack on Iran. The meeting was convened in the wake of the current situation along the Afghanistan border and the broader Middle East crisis, following the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. At least 10 people were killed in Karachi during clashes that erupted as protesters marched towards the US Consulate, while Section 144 was enforced in Punjab and Islamabad amid demonstrations following Khamenei’s killing. Meanwhile, the deteriorating law-and-order situation in Skardu prompted the deployment of the Pakistan Army under Article 245 of the Constitution. Earlier in the day, the prime minister also held a separate meeting with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to discuss the country’s overall situation. وزیرِ اعظم محمد شہباز شریف کی زیرِ صدارت علاقائی اور پاکستان کی سیکیورٹی صورتحال پر جائزے کیلئے اعلی سطح اجلاس اجلاس میں علاقائی و خطے کی صورتحال کا تفصیلی جائزہ لیا گیا. اجلاس میں پاکستان کے خطے میں امن کے قیام کیلئے کرادر اور مختلف اقدامات زیر غور آئے اجلاس میں افغانستان… pic.twitter.com/0BtGKoHnUW — PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) March 1, 2026 According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the meeting took a detailed look at the regional situation, including steps to ensure peace and stability in the country and the broader area. "Afghanistan’s security situation was also closely examined," it said. "Officials were briefed on the country’s internal security arrangements and ongoing measures to protect Pakistani citizens abroad," the statement added. On the prime minister’s instructions, the Foreign Office (FO) provided a detailed briefing on efforts to safely evacuate Pakistani nationals from Iran. "Evacuation is being facilitated through Azerbaijan to ensure the citizens’ safe return," the FO briefed the meeting. The meeting was attended by Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir, federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Mohsin Naqvi, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Ahad Khan Cheema, Attaullah Tarar, Ali Pervaiz Malik, Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi, and senior civil and military officials. PM Shehbaz has also postponed his scheduled visit to Russia in view of the prevailing internal and regional situation. The federal government said the prime minister’s visit to Russia holds significant importance for advancing bilateral relations between the two countries. However, given the existing situation, the visit has been postponed. "The new date of the visit will be announced later after mutual consultation," the statement added. Pakistan has launched 'Operation Ghazab-Lil-Haq' following renewed clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. According to Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, security forces have killed 415 Afghan Taliban in a major military operation launched in response to "unprovoked cross-border attacks" from Afghanistan. Read More: Number of Afghan Taliban killed in 'Operation Ghazab Lil Haq' hits 415 Security sources said the operation is ongoing and will continue until all objectives are achieved. "The Pakistani armed forces remain fully committed to defending national security and responding decisively to any unprovoked aggression," the statement added. On the other hand, the US and Israel jointly launched strikes on Iran that pushed the Middle East into renewed military confrontation and further dimmed hopes for a diplomatic solution to the West’s long-standing effort to denuclearise Iran, despite Tehran’s repeated assertions that it will not pursue nuclear weapons. In response, Iran targeted Israel and US bases in the Middle East. Explosions were reported in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar. Later, Iranian state media confirmed that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed in strikes by Israel and the US, and announced 40 days of public mourning in the Islamic Republic. Hours after the United States and Israel said that an air strike killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as part of the most ambitious series of attacks on Iran in decades, Iranian state media confirmed the 86-year-old leader's death on Saturday. US President Donald Trump said the air strikes, launched on Saturday, on Iranian targets were aimed at ending a decades-long threat from Iran and ensuring it could not develop a nuclear weapon as he sought to justify a risky gambit that seemed to go against his professed opposition to American involvement in complex overseas conflicts.