Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday discussed escalating tensions in the Middle East with his counterparts in Saudi Arabia, Iran, United Arab Emirates and Turkey.
In a wide-ranging exchange of views on the unfolding situation in the region following the killing of Iran’s top commander Maj-Gen Qassem Soleimani by the United States on Friday, Qureshi highlighted Islamabad’s deep concern over the recent developments.
The foreign minister underscored the imperative of avoidance of conflict, exercise of maximum restraint, and de-escalation of tensions during the conversations, said a statement issued by the Foreign Office.
Qureshi renewed the call on all parties concerned to abide by the UN charter and principles of international law to settle differences through peaceful means. “Pakistan will neither let its soil be used against any other state nor would it become part of any regional conflict,” he maintained.
Sharing Pakistan’s perspective, the foreign minister expressed the hope that the progress made in the Afghan peace process would be preserved and further advanced.
