Pakistan Enhances Middle East Peace Diplomacy Amid Regional Tensions

Pakistan’s Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi confirmed on Thursday that the country is persistently working towards peace and stability in the Middle East. He stated this during a press briefing in Islamabad.

Over the past two weeks, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar held multiple meetings with international leaders. PM Sharif recently visited China where he met with Chinese President and Premier. He also attended a Pakistan-China B2B conference in Hangzhou focusing on economic and trade cooperation expansion.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar travelled from Beijing to New York, participating in a UN Security Council meeting and several foreign minister meetings. He also met the UN Secretary-General and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington DC.

The Pakistan-US foreign ministers’ meeting saw detailed discussions on bilateral relations, counterterrorism, regional security, and other issues. Rubio appreciated Pakistan’s efforts promoting peace during tensions between Iran and the US.

PM Shehbaz held contacts with Bahraini, Kuwaiti, and Malaysian leadership focusing on collective efforts to promote regional stability. The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs’ visit was also significant. During her eighth round of Strategic Dialogue with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, discussions covered bilateral relations, trade, regional security, and global issues.

Responding to a question about Israel’s violations of international law and human rights, Andrabi stated Pakistan condemns such actions and continues to support the Palestinian right to self-determination. On India’s water dispute, he accused New Delhi of using water as a weapon, violating the Indus Waters Treaty spirit and potentially harming regional peace.

On Kashmir, Andrabi reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognized issue and Pakistan will continue its diplomatic efforts for peace, stability, respect for international law, and peaceful resolution of disputes.