ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Tuesday informed the Senate that Pakistan had made intensive diplomatic efforts to help defuse the prevailing crisis in the region and facilitate dialogue between Iran and United States of America (USA).
Speaking in the House on the current regional situation, he thanked Leader of the Opposition Senator Raja Nasir Abbas for acknowledging the government’s efforts and said Pakistan had remained actively engaged from the very outset of the crisis.
He said that when the first attack on Iran took place, he was in Madina after attending an OIC meeting and immediately contacted the Foreign Office, directing it to issue a strong condemnation of the Israeli attack on a sovereign country.
Ishaq 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 prevent escalation.
The DPM/FM said Pakistan had worked as a facilitator and mediator and had to proceed with caution so as not to undermine sensitive diplomatic efforts.
He said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and the Foreign Office remained fully engaged in the diplomatic process.
Ishaq Dar said Saudi Arabia hosted 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, including condemning Israel.
He said a four-country group comprising Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Türkiye and Pakistan had also been working for peace, and its follow-up meeting, initially planned for Istanbul, was later shifted to Islamabad.
The DPM/FM said the foreign ministers of the three countries visited Pakistan on March 29, where bilateral meetings as well as a quadrilateral meeting were held as part of efforts to advance peace diplomacy.
He went on to say that Pakistan had also engaged 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.
Ishaq Dar said the United Nations Secretary-General had also telephoned him to appreciate Pakistan’s role and offered support for its peace efforts.
He said Pakistan had tried until the last moment to create space for a pause and meaningful engagement between the parties, but regretted that fresh developments had again complicated the situation.
Referring to the latest escalation, he said a major Israeli attack on Iran and the subsequent strike on Jubail in Saudi Arabia had made the situation more dangerous and sensitive.
He cautioned that prolonged conflict in the region could have serious consequences for the wider world as well as Pakistan, including on oil prices and the economy.
He expressed the hope that diplomatic efforts would ultimately help restore peace in the region and lead to a dignified resolution of the conflict.
He also said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif remained open to dialogue with the opposition on political matters, adding that he would convey the opposition’s message to the premier.