Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday departed on a brief official visit to Saudi Arabia as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East saw no significant signs of de-escalation, his office said.
The prime minister’s visit comes amid intense hostilities in the Middle East, where Gulf countries — including Saudi Arabia — are facing Iranian attacks, which Tehran says are aimed at US and Israeli sites in response to the latter’s deadly large-scale strikes.
The premier is undertaking the visit at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.
It added that the prime minister will hold a meeting with the Saudi crown prince, during which they will “exchange views on the ongoing tensions in the region, the regional security situation and bilateral relations between the two countries”.
“This visit is highlighting Pakistan’s positive role in the diplomatic arena, and Pakistan will continue to play this role,” the PMO affirmed.
Addressing a weekly press briefing, FO Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi stressed PM Shehbaz’s visit should “also be seen in the broader context of Pakistan’s efforts to advocate and facilitate an early cessation of hostilities and violence in the region, with the aim of paving the way for dialogue and diplomacy”.
He noted that throughout the current wave of conflict, Pakistan has “been urging three points to our interlocutors”.
One of them being “respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity and a commitment to refrain from use of force within each other’s sovereign territory”, the FO spokesperson said.
“[Secondly,] upholding international law and the principles enshrined in the UN charter and the third point is resuming dialogue, engagement to pursue a peaceful, negotiated resolution to the crisis,” he added.
