Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday commended Sultan of Oman Sultan Haitham bin Tariq for Muscat’s constructive efforts in facilitating dialogue and building trust among regional and international stakeholders, amid deteriorating security situation in the Middle East following recent hostilities between Israel and Iran.
PM Shehbaz said this during a telephone conversation with the sultan of Oman. The two leaders discussed the prevailing regional situation that had aggravated following Israel’s attack on Iran as well as subsequent hostilities that had endangered the peace and security of the entire region, the PM Office said.
The premier stressed upon the urgent need to prevent further escalation and to create space for resumption of diplomatic initiatives.
The prime minister said that the escalation had taken place at a time when diplomatic efforts were underway to reduce US-Iran tensions, facilitated by Oman.
“The attacks had not only derailed the delicate diplomatic process, but had also undermined efforts to promote dialogue and de-escalation in the region,” he added.
Appreciating Oman’s mediatory role, PM Shehbaz acknowledged that Oman’s balanced and forward-looking diplomacy was a stabilising force in the region.
Both leaders agreed to maintain close contact. They reaffirmed their commitment to supporting all diplomatic measures aimed at restoring calm and ensuring lasting stability across the region.
Meanwhile, Shehbaz Sharif spoke with His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah, the Crown Prince of Kuwait, in the wake of the ongoing hostilities in the Middle East.
During their conversation, the Prime Minister expressed condolences over the loss of lives as a result of the attacks on Kuwait during the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
He affirmed Pakistan’s solidarity and support for the leadership and people of Kuwait at this critical time.
The two leaders stressed on the urgent need for de-escalation amid heightened tensions that had been aggravated following Israel’s attack on Iran and Iran’s retaliatory strikes against various brotherly Gulf nations, including Kuwait.
While condemning the violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity of these brotherly countries, as well as the loss of valuable lives in the ongoing conflict, the Prime Minister reiterated that Pakistan continued to call for diplomacy and urged all parties to refrain from any further actions that could exacerbate tensions and undermine the peace and security of the region.
Later, he received a telephone call from Ahmed al-Sharaa, President of the Syrian Arab Republic and discussed the regional situation.
During the telephone conversation, the two leaders discussed the dangerous regional escalation following Israel’s attack on Iran and the subsequent attacks in the Gulf region. They emphasized the urgent need for restraint, de-escalation, and dialogue to preserve regional peace and stability.