PM Shehbaz chairs meeting on national and regional security as Middle East tensions rise

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday chaired a high-level meeting to review regional and national security issues, including the evacuation of Pakistani citizens from Iran amid escalating tensions following the United States (US) and Israel’s attack on Iran.

The meeting was called in the wake of the current situation along the border with Afghanistan and the broader Middle East crisis following the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

At least 10 people were killed in Karachi during clashes that broke out as protesters marched on the US consulate, while Section 144 was applied in Punjab and Islamabad amid demonstrations following Khamenei’s assassination.

Meanwhile, the deteriorating law and order situation in Skardu led to the deployment of Pakistan Army under Article 245 of the Constitution.

Earlier in the day, the prime minister also held a separate meeting with Home Minister Mohsin Naqvi to discuss the overall situation in the country.

According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the meeting discussed in detail the regional situation, including measures to ensure peace and stability in the country and the wider area. “Afghanistan’s security situation was also closely examined,” he said.

“The officials were briefed about the country’s internal security arrangements and ongoing measures to protect Pakistani citizens abroad,” the statement added.

Following the Prime Minister’s instructions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (FO) provided a detailed report on efforts to safely evacuate Pakistani nationals from Iran. “Evacuation through Azerbaijan is being facilitated to ensure the safe return of citizens,” the FO reported at the meeting.

The meeting was attended by Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, Federal Ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Mohsin Naqvi, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Ahad Khan Cheema, Attaullah Tarar, Ali Pervaiz Malik, Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi and senior civil and military officials.

Prime Minister Shehbaz also postponed his planned visit to Russia in view of the prevailing internal and regional situation.

The federal government said the prime minister’s visit to Russia is of significant importance for the advancement of bilateral relations between the two countries. However, given the existing situation, the visit has been postponed. “The new date of the visit will be announced later after mutual consultations,” the statement added.

Pakistan has launched ‘Operation Ghazab-Lil-Haq’ following fresh clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

According to Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, security forces killed 415 Afghan Taliban in a major military operation launched in response to “unprovoked cross-border attacks” from Afghanistan.

Read more: The number of Afghan Taliban killed in ‘Operation Ghazab Lil Haq’ rises to 415

Security sources said the operation is ongoing and will continue until all objectives are achieved. “The Pakistani armed forces remain fully committed to defending national security and decisively responding to any unprovoked aggression,” the statement added.

On the other hand, the United States and Israel jointly launched attacks on Iran that pushed the Middle East into a new military confrontation and further dimmed hopes for a diplomatic solution to the West’s long-standing effort to denuclearize Iran, despite Tehran’s repeated assurances that it will not pursue nuclear weapons.

In response, Iran attacked Israeli and US bases in the Middle East. Explosions were reported in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar.

Iranian state media later confirmed that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in attacks by Israel and the United States, and announced 40 days of public mourning in the Islamic Republic.

Hours after the United States and Israel said an airstrike killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as part of the most ambitious series of strikes against Iran in decades, Iranian state media on Saturday confirmed the death of the 86-year-old leader.

US President Donald Trump said the airstrikes, launched Saturday, against Iranian targets were aimed at ending a decades-old threat from Iran and ensuring it could not develop a nuclear weapon, as he sought to justify a risky tactic that appeared to run counter to his professed opposition to US involvement in complex conflicts abroad.