Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday said Pakistan was actively working through diplomatic channels to help bring parties involved in the Middle East conflict to the negotiating table.
Addressing the Pakistani Senate, Dar said Pakistan issued its first reaction to the situation on February 28, after which there were reports of the martyrdom of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He added that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued a statement expressing sadness over the development.
The foreign minister recalled that when Iran was attacked in June last year, Pakistan also made efforts to help defuse tensions. Following the recent attack on Iran, he said, Pakistan was once again trying to calm the situation through backdoor diplomacy.
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Dar told the Senate that over the past three days, Pakistan had been in touch with several countries with the aim of bringing diplomacy to the forefront and encouraging dialogue. He said Pakistan believes that issues can be resolved through talks and mutual understanding rather than escalation.
Sharing details of his recent engagements, Dar said he spoke late at night with Oman’s foreign minister. He pointed out that Iran is Pakistan’s neighboring and brotherly Muslim country, and noted that some of the information he shared with the Senate was not even leaked to the media.
Pakistan, he said, remains committed to playing a constructive role in reducing tensions and promoting dialogue in the region.
