He says there is no alternative to continued engagement, dialogue and diplomacy to achieve the shared goal of peace.
Pakistan urged both sides for restraint on Wednesday after a new round of hostilities between the United States and Iran threatened to undo weeks of efforts to achieve peace through the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The interim ceasefire agreement signed between Washington and Tehran – mediated by Pakistan – was intended to provide a 60-day window for negotiations on a permanent agreement, but indirect talks in Qatar ended last week without signs of progress and the US military unleashed a new wave of attacks on Iran on Tuesday.
Iran later said it had attacked US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait and had shot down a US MQ-9 drone that was trying to interfere with the operation. Bahrain’s military later said it had thwarted the Iranian attacks. Trump has since threatened a new barrage of attacks tonight.
In a response released today on the situation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (FO) said: “Pakistan expresses deep concern over the escalation of tensions in the region. A renewed conflict is in no one’s interest. Pakistan calls on all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from any action that could further undermine regional peace and stability. There is no alternative to continued engagement, dialogue and diplomacy to achieve the shared goal of peace in the region.”
FO Pakistan urged all parties to honor their respective commitments under the Islamabad MoU, which it said remained an “enduring foundation for understanding, mutual respect and shared prosperity for the region and beyond.”
He added that Pakistan remained ready to continue playing its role in this regard.
