Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in New York on September 22, 2025, for the 80th UN General Assembly, where he will address world leaders today on the escalating Gaza crisis and longstanding issues like Jammu and Kashmir.
Leading a delegation including Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Sharif is to join US President Donald Trump today for a multilateral meeting with leaders from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Egypt, the UAE, and Jordan. The session, Sharif's first direct engagement with Trump since his second term, will exchange views on regional peace, security, the Gaza humanitarian fallout, climate change, Islamophobia, terrorism, and sustainable development.
The talks come amid Pakistan's new Saudi defence pact and US mediation claims in the May 2025 India-Pakistan ceasefire post-Operation Sindoor, with India watching warily over Kashmir and Pahalgam attack echoes.
Sharif will also attend UN Security Council sessions today, a Global Development Initiative meeting, and climate events, pushing multilateralism and flood relief for Pakistan's 2025 disasters.
As outcomes remain under wraps, this gathering signals thawing US-Pakistan ties. Post-standoff, Pakistan secured a landmark mutual defence agreement with Saudi Arabia on September 17, boosting regional clout and countering Indian isolation efforts. The military's restraint during the conflict enhanced its popularity, while improved US relations under Trump and Iranian mediation proposals marked key diplomatic gains in a turbulent region. After Israel’s recent airstrike on Doha, Qatar, Pakistan led calls for de-escalation, reinforcing its stabilizing role.
