PM directs FM to visit Iran, KSA & US to convey peace message

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Wednesday directed to Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mehmood Qureshi to visit Iran, Saudi Arabia and US to convey peace message. In his tweet, PM Khan informed that he has instructed FM Qureshi to visit Iran, Saudi Arabia and the US and meet with respective foreign ministers, and the US secretary of state. The prime minister said that he has asked Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa to contact relevant military leaders to convey a clear message. “I have asked FM Qureshi to visit Iran, KSA & USA to meet with respective foreign ministers, Secretary of State; & COAS Gen Bajwa to contact relevant military leaders to convey a clear message: Pakistan is ready to play it's role for peace but it can never again be part of any war,” Imran Khan tweeted.

I have asked FM Qureshi to visit Iran, KSA & USA to meet with respective foreign ministers, Secretary of State; & COAS Gen Bajwa to contact relevant military leaders to convey a clear message: Pakistan is ready to play it's role for peace but it can never again be part of any war

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) January 8, 2020

On Wednesday morning, Iran had launched a missile attack on US-led forces in Iraq in retaliation for the US drone strike on an Iranian commander whose killing has raised fears of a wider war in the Middle East. Tehran fired more than a dozen ballistic missiles from Iranian territory against at least two Iraqi facilities hosting US-led coalition personnel at about 1:30 a.m. local time, the US military said on Tuesday. US President Donald Trump said in a tweet late on Tuesday that an assessment of casualties and damage from the strikes was under way and that he would make a statement on Wednesday morning. “All is well!” Trump said in the Twitter post. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps confirmed they fired the missiles to retaliate for last week’s killing of Qassem Soleimani, according to a statement on state TV. Earlier today, PM Imran Khan clarified that Pakistan won’t be part of any conflict in the region. He said while talking with Oman’s Minister for Endowment and Religious Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Abdullah Assalami. He also expressed deep concern over the evolving situation in the region. PM Khan has called for immediate measures for de-escalation in the Middle East and Gulf region. He underlined the imperative of avoiding any further escalation. Stressing that war is in nobody’s interest, the prime minister recalled that Pakistan has suffered greatly due to earlier regional conflicts. He clarified that Pakistan would not be part of any conflict in the region. The premier also recalled his earlier efforts for facilitation of contacts between the United States and Iran as well as Iran and Saudi Arabia for peaceful resolution of differences and disputes.