De-escalation in ME situation: Pakistan intensifies diplomatic engagements with regional countries

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has intensified its diplomatic engagements with the regional countries to de-escalate the Middle East situation, cease hostilities, and move towards a peaceful settlement. The Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tahir Andrabi stated this during his weekly media briefing on Thursday. “Let me emphasize that diplomacy, particularly in moments of heightened sensitivity, requires discretion, patience, and confidentiality. These are not mere preferences,” he remarked. The spokesperson further stated, “We remained actively and constructively engaged with relevant regional stakeholders and beyond our region, consistently advocating for immediate de-escalation, cessation of hostilities, and an irreversible path towards a peaceful resolution.” “Pakistan will continue to play a principled and proactive role in building bridges guided by the sincerity of intent and clarity of purpose. Our objective is unwavering and unambiguous. If I were to distill or summarize our goal into a single word, that word would be peace,” he highlighted. Andrabi also dismissed the Indian Minister for External Affairs’ statement with the contempt that it deserves. About the Indian External Affairs’ remarks, he said, “Such undiplomatic rhetoric betrays a deeper sense of frustration. When arguments run thin, invective appears to fill the gap.” Pakistan does not subscribe to such megaphone theatrics, he stated, saying, “Our approach is anchored in restraint, decorum and not in rhetorical excesses.” To a question, Andrabi said “False flag operations” cannot be ruled out. There is a gap in information coming into the open in the fog of war. There is always something that needs to be verified and double-checked. The FO spokesperson pointed out that the operation Gazab Lil Haq is ongoing. It is a precise, targeted operation, military campaign directed against terrorist leadership and their support and command, infrastructure, logistics, logistic networks, facilitators, and abettors of these terrorist acts within the Taliban regime and in the Taliban controlled area. In deference to the Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations and in response to requests from our brotherly Islamic countries, a temporary pause was observed during this period. The pause has concluded at midnight between 23rd and 24th March. So, actions codenamed Operation Gazab Lil Haq will continue until the objectives are achieved, and until the Afghan Taliban regime reviews its misplaced priority of supporting terror infrastructures and terror proxies over the welfare of their own Afghan people. Tahir Andrabi said, “We have mechanisms under the Indus Waters Treaty to take up water issues, including seasonal variations of river flows. Our Indus Commissioner and relevant officials are cognizant of these developments. We would not let India weaponise water.” Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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