Islamabad: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has called for “maximum restraint” and emphasised on talks to resolve the latest flare-up in the Iran-US relations during his meetings with the top Iranian leadership, the Foreign Office said here on Monday.
Qureshi on Sunday embarked on a two-day visit to Iran and Saudi Arabia on Prime Minister Imran Khan’s direction as part of Pakistan’s efforts to defuse the tensions in the Gulf region following the killing of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in a US drone strike.
Khan has said that Pakistan, which shares its border with Iran, will not be party to any regional conflict and rather play the role of a peacemaker. Pakistan’s powerful military has also said it will not allow its soil to be used against anyone.
Qureshi met Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Javad Zarif separately during which the leaders discussed the recent developments in the Middle East and the Gulf region. Pakistan-Iran relations were also discussed, the Foreign Office said in a statement.
He “emphasised the importance of maximum restraint and immediate steps for de-escalation by all sides”, saying that “war was in nobody’s interest and it was imperative to resolve the issues through dialogue and diplomacy”, it said. (PTI)
