Istanbul: Pakistani Field Marshal Munir meets Turkish President Erdogan, along with Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif.

Pakistani Army Chief, Field Marshal General Asim Munir, widely seen as the de facto power holder in Islamabad, met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on Sunday(May 25). He was introduced by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who was scheduled to hold talks with Erdogan as part of his official engagements.

The meeting comes just days after Turkey extended its support to Pakistan during heightened military tensions with India, following India’s Operation Sindoor in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. The attack, carried out by Pakistan-based terrorists, claimed the lives of 26 innocent civilians.

Sharif, accompanied by Munir, is on a four-nation tour of so-called ‘friendly’ countries to express gratitude for their backing during the recent conflict.

It is highly unusual for a head of state to be accompanied by a military general during an official foreign visit. This underscores the powerful role of the Pakistani military in shaping the country’s foreign policy and influencing internal governance. Experts often refer to Rawalpindi—the headquarters of the Pakistan Army—as the “deep state” of Pakistan.

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Sharif is also accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi, and Army Chief Munir.

Following his stop in Turkey, the Prime Minister is set to visit Iran, Azerbaijan, and Tajikistan from May 25 to 30, according to the Foreign Office.

This is a developing story.