Pakistan and Oman sign six agreements, including visa exemption

Pakistan and Oman have exchanged six agreements and memoranda of understanding to broaden cooperation, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi in Islamabad.

The documents were signed at the eighth session of the Pakistan-Oman Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) on Wednesday, with the prime minister witnessing the signing, Geo News reported, citing the Prime Minister’s Office and the Foreign Office.

The six documents

Signed by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Albusaidi:

• JMC protocol: recording the minutes of the eighth session
• Visa exemption: for holders of diplomatic, special, official and service passports
• Records and archives: a memorandum of understanding on cooperation

Signed by the relevant federal ministers:

• Information and broadcasting
• Information technology and telecommunications
• News exchange and media cooperation

The agreements are meant to widen cooperation in these fields and open new avenues for engagement.

“A valuable partner”

The prime minister welcomed the Omani delegation and pointed to the shared faith, geographical proximity, history, culture and centuries of people-to-people contact behind the two countries’ ties. He described Oman as a brotherly country, an important maritime neighbour and a valuable partner in a strategically significant region.

He said the JMC session would provide a strong foundation for expanding cooperation, noted the convergence of views on regional and global issues, and praised Muscat’s principled emphasis on dialogue and diplomacy.

Albusaidi said Oman was committed to further strengthening bilateral engagement and cooperation. He thanked the government for its hospitality and appreciated Pakistan’s sustained diplomatic efforts to ease tensions and promote peaceful solutions to regional challenges.

What was discussed

At the JMC session, Dar said the two sides had discussed the US-Iran war, the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab el-Mandeb, Gaza and Jammu and Kashmir. He said the two countries’ diplomatic relations had completed 55 years, but their ties went back “centuries”, particularly in relation to Balochistan and Gwadar.

Albusaidi said Oman greatly appreciated Pakistan’s role in providing space for dialogue between Iran and the US, and saw strong potential in trade, logistics, port connectivity, energy and food security. “I personally greatly admire your efforts. I know how much hard work you have put in,” Dar told his Omani counterpart. Albusaidi noted that besides the commission, the two countries also have a business council and political consultations between their foreign ministers.

Dar promised to visit Oman in 2027 for the next session, saying there should be no long gaps between meetings.

The Foreign Office had said the commission would cover trade, investment, industry, agriculture, finance, oil and gas, labour, consular affairs, security, defence, climate change, civil aviation, education, media and culture.

Why it matters

The visit has moved quickly from talk to signed agreements, from easier travel for officials to closer media and technology links. With both countries praising each other’s role as peacemakers, the relationship has rarely looked closer. Read our report on the Joint Ministerial Commission talks.

This article draws on reporting by Geo News, Dawn, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Foreign Office.