ISLAMABAD — Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly pushed back against reports suggesting that Tehran’s ballistic missile program was included in the Islamabad MoU, while simultaneously delivering a pointed critique of what he described as international double standards on strategic defense capabilities.
🇵🇰 Pakistan’s PM Shehbaz Sharif:
There cannot be double standards where some countries can have ballistic missiles and Iran should not.
You cannot digest this kind of duplicity. pic.twitter.com/WZJiAHrfKc
— Asad Nasir (@asadnasir2000) June 23, 2026
Speaking during talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Sharif made it clear that Pakistan does not support selective approaches to missile programs, arguing that countries should not be judged by different standards when it comes to their national defense policies.
“It is unfair for some nations to possess ballistic missiles while denying the same right to others,” Sharif said, rejecting interpretations that Iran’s missile program was part of the bilateral understanding reached between Islamabad and Tehran.
The remarks come at a highly sensitive moment for the region, as uncertainty surrounds a potential U.S.-Iran diplomatic breakthrough and tensions continue to simmer in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important waterways.
Sharif described Pakistan and Iran as “brothers” whose relationship has only deepened during difficult times. “In difficult times, relationships grow stronger. Iran and Pakistan are not only friends but brothers, and that bond is permanent,” he said.
His comments are likely to draw international attention, particularly as global scrutiny of Iran’s missile capabilities remains intense. By openly criticizing what he called hypocrisy in the treatment of missile programs, the Pakistani premier signaled Islamabad’s opposition to policies that distinguish between countries based on political considerations rather than consistent principles.
The high-level meeting between Sharif and Pezeshkian highlighted continued coordination between Pakistan and Iran on regional developments, with both sides closely monitoring fast-moving geopolitical shifts across the Middle East.
As regional uncertainty grows, Sharif’s forceful defense of equal standards in strategic defense matters has added a new dimension to Pakistan’s diplomatic messaging, reinforcing its call for a more balanced and consistent international approach to security issues.
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