Pakistan, China propose 5-point initiative for peace in Gulf & ME

Beijing: Pakistan and China have put forward a five-point initiative for restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and Middle East region.

The initiative was agreed upon during a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing today.

The two sides called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and stressed the need for maximum efforts to prevent the conflict from spreading. They emphasized that humanitarian assistance must be allowed to reach all war-affected areas.

They emphasised that sovereignty, territorial integrity, national independence and security of Iran and the Gulf states should be safeguarded. The two countries reaffirmed that dialogue and diplomacy are the only viable options for resolving conflicts. China and Pakistan support the relevant parties in initiating talks, with all parties committing to peaceful resolution of disputes, and refraining from the use or the threat of use of force during peace talks.

Both sides also called on parties to the conflict to immediately stop attacks on civilians and nonmilitary targets, and fully adhere to International Humanitarian Law. They also stressed the importance of not attacking important infrastructure, including energy, desalination and power facilities, and peaceful nuclear infrastructure, such as nuclear power plants.

Regarding the security of shipping lanes, China and Pakistan called on the parties to protect the security of ships and crew members stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, allow the early and safe passage of civilian and commercial ships, and restore normal passage through the Strait as soon as possible.

They also called for efforts to practice true multilateralism and to jointly strengthen the primacy of the United Nations. The two sides stressed the need to support the conclusion of an agreement aimed at establishing a comprehensive peace framework and realizing lasting peace based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law.