Pakistan urges restraint amid escalating Middle East tensions

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan says it is engaging regional and international partners to promote restraint and diplomacy as hostilities escalate in the Middle East.

Speaking at the weekly briefing in Islamabad, Foreign Office spokesperson of Pakistan, Ambassador Tahir Andrabi, said Pakistan had consistently called for respect for sovereignty, adherence to international law and renewed dialogue to prevent further escalation in the region.

He said Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif had departed for a one-day official visit to Saudi Arabia, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, where he is expected to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

According to the spokesperson, the visit forms part of ongoing coordination between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on regional peace and security, as well as efforts to end the current cycle of violence.

He said Pakistan had strongly condemned the attacks on the Islamic Republic of Iran as well as the retaliatory strikes by Iran on several Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, calling them violations of sovereignty that could destabilize the region further.

The spokesperson also expressed concern over attacks targeting Türkiye and Azerbaijan, warning that they could widen the conflict and undermine international law.

Pakistan’s leadership has been engaged in intensive diplomatic contacts since the escalation began on 28 February, Tahir Andrabi said.

He noted that Prime Minister Sharif had held telephone conversations with leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain, Oman, Türkiye, Lebanon, Malaysia and Azerbaijan to coordinate efforts aimed at de-escalation.

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had remained in close contact with regional and international counterparts, including multiple conversations with Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and other leaders from the Gulf, Central Asia and beyond to promote dialogue and a peaceful resolution of the crisis.

Ambassador Andrabi confirmed that two Pakistani nationals had lost their lives in the United Arab Emirates during the ongoing hostilities. Pakistan’s missions in the UAE, he said, had facilitated the repatriation of the deceased and were assisting the bereaved families.

He added that the Foreign Ministry had activated its Crisis Management Unit operating round the clock, while Pakistan’s diplomatic missions across the region had established facilitation desks, helplines and registration portals to assist stranded Pakistani citizens with travel arrangements and consular support.

Responding to a question on mediation, Andrabi said Pakistan’s role was focused on advocating three key principles: respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, adherence to the UN Charter and international law, and renewed diplomatic engagement to resolve the crisis peacefully.

On Afghanistan, he reiterated Pakistan’s demand for verifiable assurances from Kabul that its territory would not be used for terrorist activities against Pakistan. “Since such assurances have not been received, Pakistan will continue to follow its existing policy,” he said, adding that Islamabad reserved the right to respond in self-defense against cross-border attacks.

The spokesperson also expressed concern over a recent uranium supply agreement between Canada and India, saying the arrangement represented a selective exception in civil nuclear cooperation and could undermine the global non-proliferation regime.

He warned that assured uranium supplies could allow India to divert domestic reserves for military purposes, potentially accelerating the expansion of its nuclear arsenal and aggravating strategic imbalances in South Asia.

Reiterating Pakistan’s position, Andrabi said civil nuclear cooperation should be based on a non-discriminatory, criteria-based approach applicable to all states outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty framework.

“Selective exceptions weaken the credibility of the global non-proliferation architecture and risk destabilizing regional and international peace and security,” he added.