Says there is no alternative to continued engagement, dialogue and diplomacy to achieve a common goal of peace
Pakistan on Wednesday called for restraint from both sides after a new round of hostilities between the United States and Iran threatened to undo weeks of efforts to achieve peace through the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The interim ceasefire agreement signed between Washington and Tehran – brokered by Pakistan – was meant to provide a 60-day window for talks on a permanent deal, but indirect talks in Qatar ended last week with no sign of progress, and the US military unleashed a new wave of strikes against Iran on Tuesday.
Iran subsequently said it had targeted US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait and that it had shot down a US MQ-9 drone that tried to interfere with the operation. Bahrain’s army later said it had foiled Iranian attacks. Trump has since threatened a new volley of attacks tonight.
In a response issued today on the situation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (FO) said: “Pakistan expresses its deep concern over the escalation of tensions in the region. A renewed conflict is in nobody’s interest. Pakistan calls on all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from any action that may further undermine regional peace and stability. There is no alternative to achieving shared peace dialogue and diplomacy in the region to achieve a continued goal of peace dialogue.”
FO Pakistan urged all sides to uphold their respective commitments under the Islamabad MoU, which it said remained an “enduring foundation of understanding, mutual respect and shared prosperity for the region and beyond”.
It added that Pakistan remained ready to continue playing its role in this regard.
