Pakistan to support all efforts to prevent Middle East escalation

Islamabad: Pakistan would support all efforts to prevent war escalating in the Middle East, its foreign ministry said on Friday, as fears grow of a wider conflict involving Israel and Iran.

The Middle East is bracing for a possible new wave of attacks by Iran and its allies following last week's killing of senior members of militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah. Tehran has blamed the death of Hamas's political leader on Iranian soil on Israel, which has not confirmed involvement.

The United States has been carrying out round-the-clock diplomacy, urging other countries through diplomatic channels to tell Iran that escalation in the Middle East is not in their interest, according to the state department.

“Pakistan will support all efforts to prevent a war in the Middle East,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch at a media briefing. She did not comment on whether Pakistan had been in contact with Washington over the issue.

She denied reports by the Jerusalem Post newspaper that Pakistan was planning to provide Shaheen-III medium-range ballistic missiles to Iran.

Pakistan does not have diplomatic ties with Israel. It has seen a stark improvement in previously rocky ties with neighbouring Iran that culminated in tit-for-tat military fire between the two nations in January. Iran's president visited in April and the nations have said they are boosting trade ties and regional cooperation.

Pakistan's deputy prime minister and foreign minister Ishaq Dar had spoken by phone with Iran's foreign minister in recent days, Baloch said, and had attended an emergency meeting convened by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting in Saudi Arabia this week where he condemned Israel's actions in the Gaza strip and called for a ceasefire and better access for humanitarian aid.

“He also called for preventing further escalation of violence and tensions,” she added.

This week a Pakistani man with alleged ties to Iran was charged in the United States in connection with a foiled plot to assassinate a US politician or government officials, according to the justice department.

Baloch said Pakistan had contacted US authorities and was waiting for more information. She added Pakistan could not determine any individual's nationality without full details.

SOURCE: REUTERS