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  • Gen Bajwa offered ‘sound advice’ over Iran conflict – US defense chief


Gen Bajwa offered ‘sound advice’ over Iran conflict – US defense chief

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper speaks to the media after the 2019 U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue at the State Department in Washington, U.S., December 18, 2019. (Reuters/ File Photo)
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Updated 08 January 2020
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Gen Bajwa offered ‘sound advice’ over Iran conflict – US defense chief

  • Mark Esper says everyone wants de-escalation of tensions with Iran
  • Pakistan’s foreign minister vows his country won’t become part of the US-Iran conflict
Updated 08 January 2020
Muhammad Ishtiaq

ISLAMABAD: US Defense Secretary Mark Esper acknowledged on Wednesday that Pakistan’s Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani offered him “sound advice” on deescalating tensions with Iran.

“The United States does not seek conflict but will respond forcefully if necessary. Afghan President and Pakistani General Bajwa both offered sound counsel and advice in calls today,” Esper said in a Twitter post.

“I always appreciate speaking with our partners and allies in the region. We all seek the de-escalation of tensions with Iran,” he added.

Earlier, the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, made a phone call to Gen. Bajwa to discuss the regional situation after the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, a top commander of Iran’s elite Al Quds force in Baghdad.

“#Pakistan’s Chief of Staff General Bajwa and I spoke today about US defensive action to kill Qassem Soleimani. The #Iran regime’s actions in the region are destabilizing and our resolve in protecting American interests, personnel, facilities, and partners will not waver,” Pompeo wrote on Twitter on Friday.

Confirming Esper’s call, the Pakistan military’s media wing, ISPR, quoted Gen. Bajwa: “We would like situation to de-escalate & shall support all initiatives which bring peace in the region. We call upon all concerned to avoid rhetoric in favor of diplomatic engagement. We all have worked a lot to bring peace in the region by fighting against terrorism.”

He added that “we will continue to play our constructive part toward the success of Afghan reconciliation process so that it doesn’t get derailed and region goes toward conflict resolution instead of new conflicts.”

Author Zahid Hussain told Arab News on Wednesday that the best option for Pakistan was to stay out of the conflict and not allow itself to sucked into the conflagration in any way. “The latest escalation in the region has worsened Pakistan’s predicament as this is happening in its neighborhood. Pakistan doesn’t have any leverage to deescalate the tension,” Hussain said.

International affairs analyst Rasul Bakhsh Rais concurred that Pakistan could not do much to defuse tensions in the Middle East. However, he added that “no country, particularly in Iran’s neighborhood, wanted another war in the region. Pakistan is rightly concerned that hostilities in the Middle East will result in a sectarian conflict.”

Rais noted that Islamabad’s assertion that it would not allow its soil to be used against any country had sent out a clear signal that it would remain neutral in case of a conflict.

“In official interactions with the US and regional powers, it has emphasized de-escalation, avoidance of war and political means to settle problems,” he said.

This week, on Monday, Pakistan’s foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, vowed while giving a policy statement in parliament that Pakistan would not become a party to any regional conflict and its “soil will not be used against any other state.”

Qureshi also said that the US-Iran tensions could hit the Afghan peace process.

The foreign minister also spoke to his counterparts in Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates after the missile strike killed Soleimani and discussed the unfolding situation in the region.

Qureshi also reiterated Pakistan’s readiness to play a role in preventing further escalation of tensions and maintaining regional peace and stability.

Topics: Pakistan US-Iran Suleimani Bajwa

Qatar, Pakistan resolve to boost strategic, economic cooperation at Doha talks

Updated 24 February 2026
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Qatar, Pakistan resolve to boost strategic, economic cooperation at Doha talks

  • Both countries urge dialogue on Afghanistan amid renewed border tensions between Islamabad and Kabul
  • Discussions focus on bilateral trade and investment, energy, defense, manpower and labor and culture
Updated 24 February 2026
KASHIF IMRAN

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Qatar on Tuesday agreed to deepen their strategic and economic cooperation during high-level talks between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Sharif’s office said.

Sharif visited Qatar along with a high-level delegation on the invitation of Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The Pakistani premier also held meetings with Qatar’s trade and defense ministers to discuss cooperation in various domains.

The visit came at a time when Pakistan is seeking closer economic engagement with Gulf partners amid its broader push to stabilize the economy and attract investment, while maintaining security and defense cooperation with key regional states.

During their meeting in Doha, PM Sharif and Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed discussed bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and international developments, according to the Pakistan prime minister’s office.

“They reaffirmed the strong brotherly relations between Pakistan and Qatar and expressed satisfaction at the growing momentum in political, economic and institutional ties,” Sharif’s office said.

“Discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, energy, defense, manpower and labor and culture, with both sides stressing the importance of their task force to accelerate cooperation in all these areas.”

Pakistan and Qatar maintain strong trade and investment ties. In 2022, the office of Qatar’s emir said the Qatar Investment Authority planned to invest $3 billion in Pakistan, targeting sectors including transport, aviation, education, health, media, technology and labor.

Nearly 300,000 Pakistanis live and work in Qatar, according to Pakistan’s foreign office, with many employed in health, education, engineering and public services, as well as construction and transport. The two countries engage through forums such as the Bilateral Political Consultations and the Joint Ministerial Commission.

Sharif said he had productive discussions with Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on how the two sides could transform their brotherly ties into mutually beneficial economic relationships. 

“We also took stock of the regional situation,” he said on X. “Pakistan and Qatar will continue to work together for peace and stability in the region and beyond.”

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (second right) meets the Qatari Emir Qatar’s emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (left) in Doha, Qatar, on February 24, 2026. (PID)

DIALOGUE WITH AFGHANISTAN

Earlier, Sharif and Qatar’s Deputy PM Sheikh Saoud Al-Thani discussed the situation in Afghanistan and called for dialogue to support regional stability.

The meeting took place amid renewed tensions after Islamabad carried out airstrikes last week on what it described as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) targets inside Afghanistan. Kabul said the strikes killed civilians and vowed to respond to what it called a violation of its sovereignty.

“Regional developments were also discussed, in particular the situation in Iran and Afghanistan,” Sharif’s office said in a statement. “Both sides emphasized the importance of dialogue, de-escalation and collective efforts to promote peace and stability in the region.”

This was the second time in less than six months that Pakistan conducted airstrikes in Afghanistan. The last strikes triggered heavy, weeklong clashes between the neighbors along their border before Qatar and Turkiye mediated a ceasefire between them in Oct. last year.

Separately, Sharif held meetings with Qatar’s State Minister for Trade Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Sayed and a delegation of the Qatar Businessmen Association (QBA), highlighting Pakistan’s investment-friendly reforms.

He invited QBA members to explore opportunities in infrastructure, logistics, energy, agriculture, technology and export-oriented manufacturing, his office said.

Topics: Pakistan Qatar ties

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