PM directs Qureshi to visit US, Iran, Saudi Arabia to defuse tensions

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said he has directed Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi to visit Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United States over the escalating tensions in the Middle East.

In a statement on micro-blogging site Twitter, the prime minister wrote: “I have asked FM Qureshi to visit Iran, KSA & USA to meet with respective foreign ministers, Secretary of State; & COAS Gen Bajwa to contact relevant military leaders to convey a clear message: Pakistan is ready to play it’s role for peace but it can never again be part of any war

He added that he had also asked Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa “to contact relevant military leaders to convey a clear message that Pakistan is ready to play it’s role for peace but it can never again be part of any war.”

I have asked FM Qureshi to visit Iran, KSA & USA to meet with respective foreign ministers, Secretary of State; & COAS Gen Bajwa to contact relevant military leaders to convey a clear message: Pakistan is ready to play it’s role for peace but it can never again be part of any war

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) January 8, 2020

In a video statement, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistan has decided to advance diplomatic relations with other regional countries for the peaceful resolution of tensions between Iran and the United States.

The foreign minister said Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed him to visit Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United States to pursue our desire for peace and to settle matters. He said Pakistan will play whatever role it can do to protect the region from war.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi Key Video Statement regarding current Iran-US tensions (08.01.20)#Pakistan 🇵🇰 #Iran 🇮🇷 #USA 🇺🇸 #Iraq 🇮🇶 @SMQureshiPTI pic.twitter.com/ew5dncd37m

— PTI (@PTIofficial) January 8, 2020

Earlier today, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday called for immediate measures for de-escalation in the Middle East saying Pakistan will not be part of any conflict in the region.

The prime minister expressed deep concern over the evolving situation in the region in a meeting with Oman’s Minister for Endowment and Religious Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Abdullah Assalami.

PM Imran Khan underlined the imperative of av oiding any further escalation, and stressed that war is in nobody’s interest. He recalled that Pakistan has suffered greatly due to earlier regional conflicts.

READ MORE: Pakistan won’t be part of any regional conflict: PM

The prime minister also recalled his earlier efforts for facilitation of contacts between the United States and Iran, as well as between Tehran and Riyadh for peaceful resolution of differences and disputes.

He stressed that Pakistan would always be a partner for peace and would continue playing its role to defuse tensions, prevent a conflict, and preserve peace.

Late Tuesday night, Iran had fired multiple surface-to-surface ballistic missiles at two military bases in Iraq that housed US troops as a response to the strike that killed commander Qassem Soleimani, marking the first time Tehran directly engaged with Washington’s military in conflict.