ISLAMABAD – Islamabad will do everything it can to promote dialogue betweenIran and Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Imran Khan has said, as tensions growbetween the two Gulf rivals.
Stating that Pakistan would like to avoid conflict in the region, Khanannounced at a joint press conference with Iranian President Hassan Rouhaniin Tehran that he *“would be happy to facilitate talks”* with Riyadh,Russia Today has reported.
*“The main reason I came here with my delegation is that we don’t wantconflict in the region. Pakistan suffered 70,000 casualties in the last 15years in the ‘war on terror,’ Afghanistan is still suffering, [there is]terrible devastation in Syria – we don’t want another conflict in this partof the world,”* Khan said.link
Khan held consultations with Rouhani on Sunday and was scheduled to meetwith Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei later in the day. Hesaid that he would be traveling to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
Rouhani said at the press conference that Tehran would welcome *“anygesture”* by Pakistan to help bring peace to the region.
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*“Any goodwill gesture will be responded with a goodwill gesture and goodwords,”* he told Khan.
Expanding on that, the Iranian president said that ending the war in Yemen– which Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies have waged since 2015 – is *“crucialfor solving regional challenges.”* Both Tehran and Islamabad believe thatthe regional crises have political solutions, he stated.
His comments echo earlier statements from Tehran. Ahead of Khan’s visit,Iran’s foreign ministry stated that it was *“always ready to hold talkswith its neighbors, including Saudi Arabia, to get rid of anymisunderstandings.*
