Pakistan on Wednesday called on the United States and Iran to exercise restraint after renewed hostilities threatened to derail weeks of diplomatic efforts aimed at securing peace through the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The interim ceasefire agreement, brokered by Pakistan between Washington and Tehran, was designed to provide a 60-day window for negotiations on a permanent settlement. However, indirect talks held in Qatar ended last week without any significant progress, and the US military launched a fresh wave of strikes against Iran on Tuesday.
Iran later said it had targeted US military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait and claimed to have shot down a US MQ-9 drone during the operation. Bahrain’s military subsequently said it had intercepted and foiled the Iranian attacks, while US President Donald Trump warned of further military action.
In a response issued today on the situation, the Foreign Office (FO) said: “Pakistan expresses its deep concern at the escalation in tensions in the region. A renewed conflict is in no one’s interest. Pakistan calls on all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from any actions that may further undermine regional peace and stability. There is no alternative to continued engagement, dialogue and diplomacy to achieve shared goal of peace in the region.”
The FO Pakistan urged all sides to uphold their respective commitments under the Islamabad MoU, which it said remained an “enduring foundation for understanding, mutual respect and shared prosperity for the region and beyond”.
It added that Pakistan remained ready to continue playing its role in this regard.
Source: Express Tribune
