Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah said on Saturday that 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 rose sharply after US and Israeli airstrikes last month killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior Iranian officials, triggering a wave of retaliation from Tehran and widening the conflict across the region. In response to the attacks, Iran launched retaliatory strikes 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 outbreak of war on February 28, with targets including US diplomatic missions and military bases, but also critical oil infrastructure, ports, airports, hotels and residential and office buildings in the Gulf.
While Saudi Arabia has publicly maintained that it is working with Gulf countries to avoid a military confrontation in the region and has stated that it would not participate in any potential war, frustration is growing. On Thursday, the Saudi Foreign Minister said the kingdom reserved the right to act militarily against Iran and that any trust with Tehran had been shattered after Riyadh was attacked by Iranian ballistic missiles.
Iran accused Israel of attacking its facilities at the massive South Pars gas field on Wednesday, in a major escalation in the US-Israel war that has sent oil prices soaring, and retaliated by pledging attacks on oil and gas targets across the Gulf, firing missiles at Qatar and Saudi Arabia. In the harshest comments to come out of the Gulf kingdom in nearly three weeks of war, Farhan accused Iran of premeditated hostile actions against its neighbors, both directly and through a series of regional representatives, which he urged Tehran to curb.
Amid rising tensions, Pakistan has reiterated its strong strategic commitment to Saudi Arabia while urging restraint to avoid a broader regional conflict.
Speaking to the media after offering prayers for Eidul Fitr at his public secretariat today, Sanaullah said Pakistan had 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 supported Iran but also condemned any aggression against other Muslim countries and reaffirmed its commitment to support them.
Sanaullah said that Pakistan today enjoys the confidence of Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain.
“Pakistan has emerged as a symbol of peace and unity in the Muslim ummah,” he said, calling its role vital in maintaining peace and stability in the region.
However, he said national unity and political stability were imperative to effectively address the internal and external challenges prevailing in the country.
Sanaullah said that Pakistan is currently facing multiple challenges on different fronts, but it is successfully addressing them under the leadership of the Prime Minister, which has further strengthened its position internationally.
Afghan tensions
Referring to Afghanistan, he said Pakistan’s stance was very clear as it did not want to impose war on Afghanistan nor did it have any intention to occupy its territory.
“Pakistan only wanted the Afghan soil not to be used against any country, particularly Pakistan, which is in line with international law,” he said, adding that tensions between the two countries could end immediately if Afghanistan offered such guarantees.
He also reiterated Pakistan’s respect for the Doha Agreement and its adherence to international laws.
He said Operation Ghazab Lil Haq was being carried out solely on intelligence-based information targeting terrorist hideouts.
“Security forces have effectively dismantled several sanctuaries used to train terrorists,” Sanaullah added.
The prime minister’s aide said state institutions were fully committed to eradicating terrorism and had achieved significant successes in this regard.
