Speaking at an international forum in Ashgabat, the Turkmen capital, he said sustained regional peace required “urgent and collective attention” to the situation in Afghanistan.

The prime minister opened his address by praising Ashgabat’s hospitality, calling it an honour to speak in a city of “remarkable beauty.”

He lauded the warmth of the Turkmen people and congratulated President Serdar Berdimuhamedov on 30 years of the country’s permanent neutrality. He also referred to the Turkmen leader as “a brother.”

PM Shehbaz welcomed the decision to designate 2025 as the International Year of Peace and Trust.

He said Pakistan had assumed its responsibilities at the UN Security Council this year and continued to play its role in promoting global peace and security.

Peaceful resolution of disputes, he stressed, remained a core pillar of Pakistan’s foreign policy.

Calling for immediate action to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the prime minister said Pakistan-backed peace efforts had led to the adoption of Security Council Resolution 2788, which he described as an endorsement of Pakistan’s vision for peace.

He pressed for a lasting ceasefire in the Middle East and uninterrupted humanitarian aid.

PM Shehbaz said the 2030 Agenda offered a comprehensive roadmap for global development.

Pakistan, he noted, prioritised financial inclusion and women’s economic empowerment.

He cited Pakistan’s clean and green development model as a template for other countries and said developing nations faced mounting challenges from climate change and inequality.

Fair access to advanced technologies, he added, was crucial to closing these gaps.

Praising Turkmenistan’s role in promoting global peace, he said the forum should translate its discussions into concrete action.

The world, he argued, must abandon zero-sum thinking and adopt genuine cooperation.

Building bridges — through trade, people, and ideas — was essential, he said, because dialogue and diplomacy remained the only path to resolving conflicts.

The prime minister concluded by reaffirming Pakistan’s strong commitment to the principles of the UN Charter.

Earlier, Shehbaz joined other world leaders in laying flowers at Turkmenistan’s Monument of Neutrality in Ashgabat.

Those present included Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and senior representatives from several other countries.