Pakistan is in discussions with Saudi Arabia and China for financial support to compensate for a loan of about $3 billion that Islamabad will be forced to pay back to the United Arab Emirates, people familiar with the matter said.

By Asif Shahzad, Mubasher Bukhari and Timour Azhari ISLAMABAD/DUBAI, April 11 (Reuters) - Pakistan has sent fighter jets and other military forces to Saudi Arabia to boost security under a defence pact between the two countries,

The streets of Islamabad have been emptied by a sudden two-day public holiday, declared to enforce a strict security lockdown in the Pakistani capital.

The recent geopolitical turbulence surrounding the United States-Israel-Iran conflict may become a pivotal moment for Pakistan-United Arab Emirates ties after nearly a decade of simmering mistrust.

President Donald Trump said the U.S. Navy will swiftly begin a blockade of ships entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz after U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks in Pakistan ended without an agreement

Failure to reach a deal throws ceasefire into doubt and raises questions about reopening the Strait of Hormuz as global energy supplies continue to be throttled.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said full efforts were being made to resolve the outstanding issues between the U.S. and Iran, after talks in Islamabad ended without reaching an agreement between the two sides.