Islamabad, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said Islamabad was making all efforts to promote peace in West Asia despite the challenges facing the region.
The prime minister recalled Pakistan’s recent diplomatic engagements with Iran and other regional countries, as well as its efforts under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye in August. Addressing a meeting of the federal cabinet, Sharif also spoke about the government’s efforts to combat terrorism and mitigate the impact of rising oil prices. The agreement stipulates that an armed attack on any one of the three countries would be regarded as an attack on all. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been under governor’s rule and a state of emergency since October, after President Asif Ali Zardari suspended the provincial government led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the party of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, amid concerns over worsening militancy and governance. He reiterated the government’s commitment to eliminating terrorism from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through coordinated efforts involving the armed forces, the provincial administration and the federal government.
Sharif also said the government was committed to eliminating militancy and had finalised a proposed 160 billion rupees package for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with a focus on development, public welfare and strengthening security and counter-terrorism capabilities.
“Pakistan is playing its role as before in restoring peace in the region,” he said, referring to West Asia. Sharif said a Pakistani delegation had visited Tehran twice over the past two to three weeks. The discussions focused not only on reducing regional tensions but also on promoting greater regional cooperation, he said.
