Shehbaz Sharif Urges End to Middle East Hostilities in Call with MBS

ISLAMABAD: In a phone discussion with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif demanded an “immediate end to hostilities and return to normalcy” amid the ongoing Middle East turmoil.

In a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the premier reaffirmed Pakistan’s vehement denunciation of the recent assaults on Saudi Arabia and declared unwavering sympathy and support for the Kingdom and its citizens during these trying times.

PM Shehbaz pledged that Pakistan will always support Saudi Arabia and its people, just as they had always supported Pakistan, during good times and bad, while praising the Kingdom’s leadership for exercising extraordinary moderation in the current crisis.

In order to stabilize the situation in the region, the prime minister demanded an immediate end to hostilities and a return to normalcy. He urged the Ummah to unite and harmonize, which was more important than ever.

He gave the Saudi Crown Prince an update on Pakistan’s positive diplomatic outreach to all sides, advocating for de-escalation and diplomatic and dialogue-based dispute resolution.

Pakistan’s efforts to promote peace were much appreciated by the Crown Prince. Both leaders decided to keep the two nations closely coordinated at all levels.

In a separate post on X, the prime minister claimed to have spoken with the Saudi Crown Prince to send heartfelt Eid ul Fitr wishes to King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Saudi Arabian people, and the royal family.

“I reiterated Pakistan’s strong condemnation of the recent attacks on the Kingdom and reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering solidarity and unequivocal support for Saudi Arabia in these challenging times,” he said.

PM Shehbaz added that he emphasized the critical necessity for de-escalation, a stop to hostilities, and Ummah unity.

The comments came amid rising tensions in the Middle East following strikes on Iran by the US and Israel on February 28. Tehran responded by using drones and missiles to target US locations around the Gulf, including Saudi Arabia.

In September of last year, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed the historic Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA), which views an attack on either country as an act of war against both.

PM Shehbaz declared a day earlier that Islamabad was prepared to hold negotiations between the United States and Iran to resolve the Middle East crisis.