The United States has encouraged Pakistan to continue playing its role in the ongoing peace efforts with Iran to de-escalate tensions with Israel amid deepening fears of broader conflict.
The development came as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received a telephone call from US Secretary of State Rubio on Friday, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister Office.
During their warm and cordial conversation, the prime minister conveyed his best wishes for President Donald Trump and praised him for his bold leadership.
He also appreciated Secretary Rubio’s proactive diplomacy that played a pivotal role in helping Pakistan and India to arrive at a ceasefire understanding and averting a major catastrophe between the two nuclear-armed states.
Premier Shehbaz added that President Trump’s positive statements about Pakistan were most encouraging for a durable peace in South Asia, which could only be made possible by initiating meaningful dialogue between Pakistan and India.
In this context, he reaffirmed Pakistan’s willingness for talks with India on all outstanding issues, including Jammu & Kashmir, the Indus Water Treaty, trade and counter-terrorism.
The situation in the Middle East, particularly the Iran-Israel crisis, was also discussed, where PM Shehbaz emphasised on the need to find a peaceful resolution to this grave crisis, through dialogue and diplomacy.
He stated that Pakistan was ready to play a constructive role in any effort for peace in the current situation, which was deeply worrying, not only for the region, but for the entire world.
While recalling President Trump’s focus on trade, the premier stated that Pakistan and the US needed to work together to advance mutually beneficial cooperation across a wide range of areas, including trade, investment, energy, mining, rare earth metals, and IT.
On security and counter-terrorism, PM Shehbaz reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to deal with the menace of terrorism from the entire country, particularly the threat from BLA, TTP and other militant groups.
In this regard, Secretary Rubio appreciated Pakistan’s counter-terrorism efforts and assured Pakistan of full cooperation by the US in countering all such threats.
The prime minister noted, with great satisfaction, the most cordial and productive discussion between President Trump and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir in Washington earlier this week.
Both the prime minister and the top US diplomat agreed that talks between their two countries must now be translated into tangible actions across all areas.
PM Shehbaz also stressed upon the need for frequent high-level engagements to build upon this positive momentum in Pakistan-US bilateral relations.
In this regard, he reiterated his invitation to Trump to undertake an official visit to Pakistan and said that he too, was looking forward to meeting the US president at his earliest convenience.
The prime minister also reiterated his invitation to Secretary Rubio to visit Pakistan at an early date.
Thanking the prime minister for receiving his telephone call, Secretary Rubio shared his desire to enhance bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and the US across all areas of shared interest.
He also appreciated Pakistan’s resolve to uphold the ceasefire understanding with India, as well as its sustained efforts for peace in the region.
In this context, he encouraged Pakistan, which enjoys excellent ties with Iran, to continue playing its role in the ongoing peace efforts with Iran.
He further noted that the US was committed to working closely with Pakistan to promote regional as well as global peace and stability.
