Pakistan continuing efforts for Middle East peace, says PM Shehbaz

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said Pakistan was continuing diplomatic efforts to restore peace in the Middle East, as escalating tensions in the region drove up international oil prices.

Addressing a meeting of the federal cabinet, the premier said instability in the region had caused global petroleum prices to surge, adding that Pakistan was engaging with Iran and other regional countries to help restore peace.

He also referred to diplomatic engagements under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye.

Last month, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, accompanied by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, visited Iran as part of Islamabad’s efforts to mediate between Washington and Tehran.

In October, CDF Asim Munir, the Saudi defence minister and the Turkish intelligence chief also met senior Iranian officials in Tehran under the trilateral defence agreement. Last week, the military’s spokesperson said Pakistan remained cautiously optimistic about its mediation efforts between the US and Iran.

The prime minister also discussed the impact of rising fuel prices on consumers, recalling that the government had considered increasing petroleum prices by Rs15 on Friday.

He said Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik had approached oil refineries to absorb the additional cost from their windfall profits, so that the burden would not be passed on to ordinary consumers.

Shehbaz also said the fuel subsidy programme launched in September would continue until the end of December.