Shehbaz Sharif has delayed his trip due to the current domestic and regional situations

Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif has postponed his planned trip to Russia, the Pakistani government has said.

Sharif was scheduled to visit Russia March 3-5.

The decision to postpone the trip was made due to the current domestic and regional situations, the Pakistani government said in a statement on Sunday.

"The Prime Minister's visit to Russia holds utmost importance for progress in the bilateral relations between the two countries, but in light of the current circumstances, the visit has been postponed," it said.

A new date will be decided after consultations with Moscow.

Sharif also extended his condolences to the people of Iran over the assassination of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

"The Government and the people of Pakistan join the people of Iran in their hour of grief and sorrow and extend the most sincere condolences on the martyrdom of His Eminence Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei," he said in a post on X.

Sharif's decision to postpone the Russia trip comes amidescalating tensionsbetween Pakistan and Afghanistan, which erupted last week.

Relations between Kabul and Islamabad deteriorated sharply amid mutual accusations over militant activities. Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of harboring Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters, which the Taliban denies.

Russia has urged the neighboring states to halt cross-border attacks and find diplomatic solutions to outstanding issues.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has described ties with Pakistan as mutually beneficial. "We are continuing close cooperation with Pakistan," the Russian Embassy in IslamabadquotedPutin as saying. "Pakistan is a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which is the region's largest regional organization in terms of economic, technical, and human resources."

The Russian government earlier approved adraft agreementwith Pakistan on scientific, technical, and innovative cooperation.

The Russian Ministry of Education and Science was scheduled to hold talks with Pakistani representatives to reach an agreement, according to Rossiskaya Gazeta.

(RT.com)