ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday met with the ambassadors of Pakistan’s key allies China, Saudi Arabia and Qatar in Islamabad, as the foreign office expressed concern over a “serious escalation” in Middle East tensions.
Sharif’s meetings with the envoys took place a day after Iran launched missiles against a US air base in Qatar on Monday, causing no casualties, in retaliation for the US dropping 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on Iranian underground nuclear facilities over the weekend. Hours later, US President Donald Trump made a surprise announcement of an Israel-Iran ceasefire agreement, suggesting he may have bombed Tehran’s rulers back to the negotiating table.
Tensions have remained high since June 13, when Israel struck Iran’s nuclear facilities and targeted senior military leadership. Iran has since retaliated with repeated missile strikes against Israel, raising fears of a wider regional conflict and prompting international calls for restraint.
“Pakistan expresses its deep concern and alarm at the serious escalation in the security situation in the region as a result of attacks against USA’s Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar,” the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement on Tuesday, urging all sides to exercise restraint and respect fundamental principles of international law.
