- DPM Dar says Pakistan is acting cautiously in its mediation role.
- PM and CDF remain engaged in diplomatic efforts: Dar.
- A prolonged conflict can affect oil and the economy: DPM.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday blamed Israel for trying to derail Islamabad’s efforts to facilitate ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran by launching an attack on Tehran at a time when both sides were preparing to enter negotiations.
“A major Israeli attack on Iran and the subsequent attack on Jubail in Saudi Arabia had made the situation more dangerous and sensitive,” he said while briefing the Senate on the current regional situation in the Middle East and Islamabad’s mediation efforts.
Pakistan emerged as a key mediator in one of the region’s worst conflicts, which erupted after joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28.
Since then, the war has led to a sharp rise in global fuel and energy costs, triggered by Tehran’s effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking in the Upper House on the current situation in the Middle East, Foreign Minister Dar, who also holds the foreign minister’s portfolio, thanked Opposition Leader Senator Raja Nasir Abbas for recognizing the government’s efforts and said Pakistan had continued to be actively involved since the beginning of the crisis.
He said that when the first attack on Iran took place, he was in Medina after attending an OIC meeting and immediately contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ordering it to issue a strong condemnation of the Israeli attack on a sovereign country.
Foreign Minister Dar said he also established immediate contact with the Iranian Foreign Minister and conveyed Pakistan’s support and sympathy, assuring him that Islamabad would make efforts to rally regional countries behind de-escalation.
He said Pakistan had since remained in continuous contact with countries in the region and beyond, including China, Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada and several European states, in an effort to promote restraint and avoid escalation.
The DPM said Pakistan had worked as a facilitator and mediator and had to proceed cautiously so as not to undermine sensitive diplomatic efforts.
He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Chief of Defense Forces (CDF), Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and the Ministry of External Affairs remained fully committed to the diplomatic process.
DPM Dar said that Saudi Arabia organized a meeting of 12 countries on March 19 in Riyadh on the issue, where Pakistan represented its position and helped secure a balanced joint statement, which included a condemnation of Israel.
He said a four-nation group comprising Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkiye and Pakistan had also been working for peace, and their follow-up meeting, initially scheduled for Istanbul, was later moved to Islamabad.
Foreign Minister Dar further informed the Senate that the foreign ministers of the three countries visited Pakistan on March 29, where bilateral meetings and a quadrilateral meeting were held as part of efforts to advance peace diplomacy.
He went on to say that Pakistan had also engaged with China at a high level, and during his visit there on March 31, the two sides discussed a five-point peace initiative for the region, which was later made public.
Dar said the United Nations Secretary-General had also called him on phone to appreciate Pakistan’s role and offer support to its peace efforts.
He said Pakistan had tried until the last moment to create space for a pause and meaningful compromise between the parties, but regretted that new developments had complicated the situation again.
He warned that a prolonged conflict in the region could have serious consequences for the world at large as well as for Pakistan, including on oil prices and the economy.
The deputy prime minister expressed hope that diplomatic efforts would ultimately help restore peace in the region and lead to a dignified resolution to the conflict.
