ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Sunday discussed an ongoing conflict in the Middle East and called for de-escalation in the region, the Pakistani foreign office said.
This was the second telephonic conversation between the two foreign ministers in as many days, amid an intensifying conflict in the Middle East that has seen the United States and Israel attack Iran and Tehran launch counterattacks in the Gulf.
Dar, who is also the deputy prime minister of Pakistan, spoke with the Saudi foreign minister to review the latest regional developments, according to the Pakistani foreign office.
"Both leaders emphasized the urgent need for de-escalation to ensure peace and stability, and agreed to remain in close contact," the foreign office in Islamabad said.
On Friday, the two figures discussed the Pakistan‑China five‑point initiative aimed at de‑escalating tensions sparked by the US‑Israeli war on Iran.
The development followed a proposal put forward by Beijing and Islamabad during Dar’s visit to China, calling for an immediate ceasefire, the initiation of peace talks, protection of civilian and commercial infrastructure including shipping lanes and adherence to the United Nations Charter.
Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries have faced waves of Iranian missile and drone attacks since Israel and the US launched the war against Iran on Feb. 28.
Last week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also reaffirmed Pakistan’s “unwavering” support for Saudi Arabia, his office said.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a landmark defense pact in September last year, under which any aggression against one country would be considered an attack on both.
Sharif's statement came as Islamabad hosted quadrilateral talks with regional powers, including Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Egypt, to defuse the Middle East tensions.
Last month, Pakistan’s foreign office said Islamabad wanted to act as a “bridge builder” to help ease rising tensions in the Middle East.
