UK high commissioner, Iranian FM meet PM Shehbaz amid Pak-India tensions

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Monday met with UK High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott and Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, rejecting India’s attempts to link Pakistan to the Pahalgam incident without providing any evidence.

The prime minister held separate meetings with the two leaders in Islamabad and reiterated Pakistan’s stance for impartial investigation into the Pahalgam attack.

The prime minister received UK High Commissioner to Pakistan, Jane Marriott, at the Prime Minister House, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release. PM Shehbaz reiterated his offer for a transparent, credible and neutral international investigation into the incident and invited the UK to join it.

PM Shehbaz noted that with the support of friendly countries, including the UK, his government’s foremost priority remained advancing economic growth and development of the country, and that Pakistan would never take any action that could imperil regional peace and security.

The prime minister urged the UK, which enjoyed good relations with both Pakistan and India, to play its part in de-escalating the situation. The British high commissioner thanked the prime minister for sharing Pakistan’s position and said that the UK would work closely with Pakistan and India for maintaining regional peace and security.

Separately in a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, who is on official visit to Pakistan, PM Shehbaz expressed serious concerns over India’s provocative behavior after the Pahalgam incident.

“We acted with utmost responsibility in all situations, and it’s unacceptable to make baseless accusations without facts,” PM Shehbaz Sharif said and offered an international investigation to uncover the truth behind the incident.

PM Shehbaz said that the Indian accusations is an attempt to divert attention from the Kashmir issue. “The Kashmir issue is the main reason for instability in South Asia,” the prime minister asserted.

PM Shahbaz Sharif also condemned India’s use of water as a weapon and said that no party can unilaterally suspend the agreement. He also expressed Pakistan’s commitment to working with Iran for peace and stability in the region.