ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is positioning itself as a “bridge builder” to help ease rising tensions in the Middle East, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arriving in Saudi Arabia on Thursday for talks focused on regional peace and security, the Foreign Office said.
Sharif left Pakistan for a brief visit to the Kingdom earlier in the day amid heightened regional volatility after the United States and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran. Tehran responded by saying it was targeting American military bases in Gulf states, prompting condemnations from these countries, which said several strikes had hit civilian infrastructure.
The prime minister arrived in Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to a statement by Sharif's office on Thursday evening, and was received at the Royal Terminal of Jeddah’s international airport by Deputy Governor of the Makkah region Prince Saud bin Mishal bin Abdulaziz.
The visit comes at a time when the spillover of the conflict in the region has complicated diplomatic efforts aimed at calming the situation, but the Foreign Office spokesperson, Tahir Andrabi, said Pakistan had been in regular contact with capitals across the region since the crisis erupted and is trying to keep channels of communication open.
“And we are playing the role of a bridge builder in a sense that our principal position on issues with respect to sovereignty, international law and the UN Charter and with respect to dialogue and diplomacy is respected in all regional capitals,” Andrabi said during the weekly press briefing.
He said Prime Minister Sharif’s visit to Riyadh should be seen as part of ongoing coordination between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on regional stability.
“The Prime Minister’s visit to Saudi Arabia is part of the coordination between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on matters of regional peace and security and ending violence and hostilities,” he said.
“The Prime Minister’s visit should also be seen in the broader context of Pakistan’s efforts to advocate and facilitate an early cessation of hostilities and violence in the region, with the aim of paving the way for dialogue and diplomacy.”
Islamabad has condemned both the strikes on Iran and the retaliatory attacks launched from Iranian territory against Gulf states, urging all sides to show restraint and resolve their differences through diplomatic means.
The Foreign Office spokesperson said Pakistan has remained diplomatically engaged since the crisis began. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has spoken with his counterparts from several countries in the region to discuss the evolving situation.
The prime minister also held a telephone conversation on Wednesday with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, during which the two leaders discussed regional developments.
Andrabi said Pakistan’s position was firmly rooted in international law and the principle that disputes should be resolved through dialogue.
PAK-AFGHAN CLASHES
Separately, the Foreign Office said Pakistan’s policy toward Afghanistan remains unchanged despite continued tensions over cross-border militant attacks.
“There is no qualitative change in our relations, in our way of how we engage with Afghanistan,” Andrabi said.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan authorities of harboring militant groups and facilitating their cross-border attacks, an allegation denied by Kabul.
The two countries have witnessed fierce border clashes amid mounting tensions, with Pakistan saying it has targeted militant hideouts inside Afghanistan.
“We have emphatically communicated to the Afghan side and to our interlocutors that we need verifiable assurances from the Afghan side that their territory will not be used for terrorism against Pakistan,” Andrabi said.
“Since those assurances have not been received, we will continue with our existing policy with respect to that country.”
He said Pakistan reserved the right to respond to attacks originating from Afghan territory.
“We are under attack ... and in exercise of our right to self-defense, we do reserve the right to respond to these attacks.”
