ISTANBUL: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar arrived in Istanbul, Türkiye, on Friday to attend the R4 ministerial meeting involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Egypt, as well as the expanded R4+ meeting featuring France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom.
He was received by Director General at the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Cihad Erginay, Pakistan’s Chargé d’Affaires Shaiq Ahmed, Pakistan’s Consul General in Istanbul Khawaja Khurram Naeem, Additional Secretary Ambassador Khalil Hashmi and officers of the Embassy of Pakistan in Ankara and the Consulate General of Pakistan in Istanbul.
At the invitation of Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkiye Hakan Fidan, the deputy prime minister will attend the R4 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Istanbul today.
This will be followed by the R4+E3 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting featuring the participation of the E3 countries — the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. This marks the first meeting of the seven countries in this format.
The foreign ministers will be hosted by Turkish counterpart Fidan in Istanbul for talks on regional conflicts, Reuters reported citing Turkish diplomatic source.
The seven countries will meet in this format for the first time, at Turkiye’s initiative, the source said, as wars involving Iran, Yemen and Ukraine threaten shipping routes and regional security.
The ministers are expected to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian issue, the latest situation in the Strait of Hormuz, developments related to Yemen, efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, and opportunities for closer cooperation between the regional and European countries, the person added.
Fidan is expected to emphasise the need for a diplomatic solution to the war between the United States and Iran, the importance of freedom of navigation in the straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab, and reiterate Turkiye’s support for Saudi Arabia’s security against attacks by Yemen’s Houthi fighters under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement signed between Turkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, the source said.
He will also tell counterparts that Turkiye has been working to stop the war in Ukraine spreading to the Black Sea, pointing to the regional security risks posed by the conflict, the source added.
The meetings will focus on key regional developments and explore coordinated diplomatic approaches to address shared challenges and advance regional peace and stability.
During the visit, DPM Dar will also hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts and call on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Pakistan’s participation in the said meetings reflects its continued commitment to constructive diplomacy, regional cooperation and the peaceful resolution of disputes.
![PESHAWAR, JAN 12 /DNA/ - Owing to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's precarious law and order circumstances, the provincial assembly has written a letter to the Peshawar corps commander seeking an in-camera briefing on ongoing operations and the security situation in the province. "The [special] Committee desires to receive a detailed briefing from Headquarters XI Corps, Peshawar, particularly in the context of the ongoing operations being conducted by the federal government and LEAs in the merged districts of KP," reads the letter issued by KP Assembly Deputy Secretary Tariq Noor, while referring to the Special Committee (on Security) constituted by the house. The committee features more than 40 members, including the leader of the house, the leader of the opposition and provincial ministers, along with parliamentary leaders of respective political parties. The letter, dated January 8, also points out that the committee has received detailed briefings from key stakeholders, including the chief secretary, the additional chief secretary, the IGP, and now seeks a briefing as part of the consultative process. Letter written by KP Assemblys deputy secretary to Headquarters XI Corps. — Reporter Letter written by KP Assembly's deputy secretary to Headquarters XI Corps. — Reporter The KP Assembly's request for a briefing from a senior army commander comes as the province, as stated by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry in a recent media briefing, accounted for nearly 71% of all the terrorist incidents in 2025. The overwhelming share of KP in facing terror incidents, as per the military's spokesperson, was due to a "politically conducive environment and the flourishing political-criminal-terror-nexus" in the province. Noting that the Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in KP was resisting counterterrorism efforts at every forum — a claim denied by the PTI — Lt Gen Chaudhry highlighted that the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) carried out 75,175 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) across the country in 2025, of which 14,658 IBOs were conducted in KP. Out of the total 5,397 terrorism incidents reported nationwide in the previous year, as many as 3,811 incidents occurred in KP. The issue of terrorism and military operations has been a point of contention between the PTI's KP government and the Centre in recent times, where the former has time and again stressed a political solution and dialogue, whereas the latter has pressed on with taking action against the terrorists. This is also reflected by the KP Assembly's letter to the Headquarters XI Corps, Peshawar, which says that the Special Committee (on Security) "acknowledges the importance of security measures but considers that operation alone without broader political, social and developmental initiatives may not ensure suitable peace and stability and could risk further unrest in the province".](https://islamabadpost.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/security-forces-218x150.jpg "10 militants killed, civilian martyred in Gwadar: ISPR")
