PM Shehbaz expresses Iran-Israel conflict threat against regional, global peace

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the escalating armed conflict between Iran and Israel as “very alarming”, warning that the situation poses a serious threat to both regional and global peace.

When he spoke during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Premier Pakistan’s “complete solidarity” repeated with Iran in the light of Israeli aggression and urged the international community to secure an immediate truce.

“The global community was to secure a ceasefire,” Prime Minister Shehbaz emphasized, “we are standing firm with Iran’s brotherly people.”

He said he had spoken to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to express compassion and Pakistan’s support. He also discussed the regional crisis with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

At the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the prime minister said the suffering of the Palestinians was “heartbreaking”, noting that over 50,000 had been killed. “Brutality is loosened – but when will the conscience of the world wake up?” He asked.

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is ready to attend the OIC Foreign Minister Meeting in Turkiye on June 21 to 22 to discuss the ongoing crises.

When he turned to domestic affairs, Prime Minister Shehbaz praised the fiscal budget of 2025 and emphasized that the government convinced the IMF not to impose on the agricultural sector’s taxes. He said the tax rate for income between RS600,000 and RS1.2 million had been reduced to 1% from 5% last year.

He said RS1 trillion had been awarded to the public sector development program (PSDP) to stimulate growth and development.

He also paid tribute to the professionalism of the armed forces and the public entity during the recent military confrontation with India and called the result a “great victory.” He noted that the budget site for defense was increased to meet the needs of security forces fighting terrorism.

Finally, Prime Minister Shehbaz praised the diplomatic mission led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Sherry Rehman for effectively presenting Pakistan’s attitude to India’s recent “unilateral and illegal acts” during visits to the US and Europe.