ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif briefed leaders of various parliamentary parties on Wednesday about the ongoing crisis in Iran and Pakistan’s ongoing military conflict with Afghanistan, his office said in a statement. 

The meeting comes as Pakistan has intensified military operations against the Afghan Taliban and militant groups targeting its civilians and security forces along its western frontier, while the wider region faces growing instability after recent US-Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent attacks across the Gulf.

Sharif decided to convene the session to update the leaders of various political parties in parliament on the security situation and Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach as tensions spread across the region.

“Participants emphasized the need for national unity, consensus and cohesion in the current circumstances,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement. 

The statement said parliamentarians appreciated Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts for peace in the region and stressed the need to accelerate them further.

They presented suggestions to the government on what its future course of action should be.

“All participants reaffirmed their strong resolve to eliminate terrorism from the country,” the statement said. 

Representatives of major political parties, including the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Peoples Party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Muttahida Qaumi Movement and other parliamentary groups attended the briefing.

Pakistan has accused Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities of allowing militant groups such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to operate from Afghan territory, allegations Kabul denies. Islamabad says it has targeted militant hideouts across the border after repeatedly raising the issue with Afghan officials.

The briefing also comes as the government closely monitors developments in the Middle East, where regional tensions have heightened concerns about energy supplies and broader security implications for the country.