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ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan on Saturday condemned both the Israeli and US attacks on Iran and Iran’s retaliatory strikes on several Gulf countries, in what appears to be a carefully calibrated diplomatic response aimed at maintaining balance amid a rapidly escalating regional crisis.
In a strongly worded statement, the State Department deplored the “breakdown of negotiations and outbreak of hostilities” in the Middle East, saying the attacks on Iran came at a time when diplomatic efforts were underway to secure a peaceful and negotiated solution.
“These attacks will undermine the peace and stability of the entire region with far-reaching consequences,” the statement said, without directly naming Israel or the United States, but clearly referring to its attacks on Iranian targets earlier in the day.
But in a parallel condemnation, Islamabad also condemned Iran’s subsequent attacks on what it described as “brotherly countries,” including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, calling them “blatant violations of sovereignty.”
The State Department confirmed that a Pakistani national died in the UAE in what it called a “heinous attack”, further underscoring Islamabad’s concerns over the growing fallout from the confrontation.
The carefully balanced statement reflects Pakistan’s complex diplomatic position. While Islamabad has traditionally supported Iran’s right to sovereignty and consistently criticized Israeli actions in the region, it also maintains deep strategic, economic and security ties with the Gulf states, particularly Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif moved quickly to strengthen those ties, holding separate phone calls with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
In his conversation with the Saudi Crown Prince, the Prime Minister strongly condemned the serious regional escalation resulting from the Israeli attack on Iran and the subsequent attacks on the Gulf countries.
He assured the Saudi leadership of Pakistan’s “full solidarity and support” and pledged that Islamabad would stand with its “Saudi brothers and sisters in all circumstances.”
Similarly, in his call to the Qatari Emir, the Prime Minister reiterated Pakistan’s “full solidarity and support” with Qatar amid the crisis, referring to his recent meeting in Doha and stressing Pakistan’s readiness to play a constructive role in ensuring regional peace.
Also in conversation with the UAE President, the Prime Minister strongly condemned the serious regional escalation resulting from the Israeli attack on Iran earlier, followed by the deplorable attacks against the United Arab Emirates, in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai, as well as in other Gulf countries.
The prime minister also expressed his grief over the tragic death of a Pakistani national during the missile attack on Abu Dhabi.
Assuring the UAE leadership of Pakistan’s solidarity and support in the current crisis, he said Pakistan would always stand with its Emirati brothers and sisters, in keeping with the close fraternal ties between both countries that had stood the test of time.
Diplomatic observers say Islamabad is trying to walk a tightrope at a time when tensions threaten to escalate into a wider regional conflict. Pakistan shares a long border with Iran and has recently sought to stabilize ties. At the same time, its economic lifeline is closely tied to the Gulf states, where millions of Pakistani expatriates live and billions of dollars in remittances originate.
The State Department called on all sides to exercise “maximum restraint” and refrain from further actions that could undermine the security and territorial integrity of regional countries. It also emphasized the need to uphold international law and the principles of the UN Charter.
Significantly, Islamabad called for a return to diplomacy and stressed that only a peaceful and negotiated solution could resolve the crisis.
In a related development, Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday strongly condemned the unjustified attacks against Iran.
He called for an immediate halt to escalation through a swift resumption of diplomacy to achieve a peaceful, negotiated solution to the crisis, the State Department spokesman said in a press release.
DPM/FM received a call from Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi. They reviewed the development of the situation in Iran and the wider region.
