Adviser to Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Saturday said Pakistan was committed to its agreements with Saudi Arabia and was making efforts to reduce regional tensions by promoting rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Tensions in the Middle East sharply escalated after US and Israeli airstrikes last month assassinated Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top officials, triggering a wave of retaliation from Tehran and widening the conflict across the region. In response to these strikes, Iran launched retaliation against US military bases in several Gulf countries, significantly expanding the scope of the confrontation. Gulf Arab states have faced more than 2,000 missile and drone attacks since the war began on February 28, targeting US diplomatic missions and military bases, critical Gulf oil infrastructure, ports, airports, hotels, and residential and office buildings.
As Saudi Arabia has publicly asserted that it is working with Gulf countries to prevent a military confrontation in the region and said it will not participate in any potential war, frustration is growing. On Thursday, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said the kingdom reserved the right to act militarily against Iran and that all trust with Tehran had been broken after Riyadh was targeted by Iranian ballistic missiles.
Iran accused Israel of striking its facilities in the massive South Pars gas field on Wednesday, part of a major escalation in the US-Israeli war that has driven up oil prices, and retaliated by vowing to attack oil and gas targets across the Gulf, firing missiles at Qatar and Saudi Arabia. In the harshest comments to come from the Gulf kingdom in nearly three weeks of war, Farhan accused Iran of premeditated hostile actions against its neighbors, both directly and through a set of regional proxies, which he urged Tehran to rein in.
Amid rising tensions, Pakistan reiterated its strong strategic commitment to Saudi Arabia while calling for restraint to avoid a wider regional conflict.
Addressing the media after offering Eidul Fitr prayers at his public secretariat today, Sanaullah said Pakistan strongly condemned the aggression against Iran as well as the attack on its former supreme leader, reiterating its full solidarity with the Islamic world.
He said Pakistan not only supports Iran but also condemns any aggression against other Muslim countries and reaffirms its commitment to supporting them.
Sanaullah said Pakistan today enjoyed the trust of Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain.
“Pakistan has become a symbol of peace and unity among the Muslim Ummah,” he said, calling its role vital for maintaining peace and stability in the region.
However, he said national unity and political stability were imperative to effectively confront the country’s current internal and external challenges.
Sanaullah said that Pakistan was currently facing multiple challenges on different fronts but was successfully overcoming them under the leadership of the Prime Minister, which had further strengthened its position internationally.
Afghan tensions
On Afghanistan, he said Pakistan’s position was very clear as it did not want to impose war on Afghanistan nor did it intend to occupy its territory.
“Pakistan only wants that Afghan soil should not be used against any country, especially against Pakistan, which is in line with international law,” he said, adding that tensions between the two countries could end immediately if Afghanistan provided such assurances.
He also reiterated Pakistan’s respect for the Doha Accord and its adherence to international laws.
He said Operation Ghazab Lil Haq was being carried out solely on the basis of intelligence-based information targeting the hideouts of terrorists.
“Security forces have effectively dismantled several sanctuaries used to train terrorists,” Sanaullah added.
The Prime Minister’s aide said that state institutions were fully committed to eradicating terrorism and had achieved significant successes in this regard.
