ISTANBUL
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed solidarity with the Iranian people and called for “collective” efforts to reduce tensions in the Middle East during a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday.
"As a neighboring brotherly country of Iran, the Prime Minister conveyed Pakistan’s solidarity with the brave Iranian people in the wake of the ongoing hostilities," said a statement from Sharif’s office regarding the call.
Sharif offered condolences over the loss of lives and wished for the early recovery and safety of those injured and displaced.
He also conveyed his "serious concern over the dangerous ongoing hostilities in the Gulf region," urging "collective" efforts for de-escalation and a return to dialogue and diplomacy among neighboring countries to settle their differences.
Sharif "stressed upon the critical importance of unity in the ranks of the Ummah, that was required more than ever before," the statement said.
"Pakistan would continue to play a constructive role in facilitating peace in the region," he added.
Regional escalation has continued to flare since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing so far over 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel as well as locations in Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and infrastructure damage and disrupting aviation and global markets.