Shanghai (TDI): Pakistan and China on Friday jointly called on the United States and Iran to immediately end hostilities and return to negotiations, as renewed fighting threatened to derail diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict.
The appeal came during a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Shanghai, where the two ministers expressed concern over the worsening security situation in the Middle East.
According to a statement issued by China’s Foreign Ministry, both sides urged the parties involved to “immediately cease hostilities” and resume dialogue, stressing that diplomacy remained the only viable path to lasting peace.
Referring to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed last month to ease tensions and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Wang said the agreement was “hard-won” and warned against allowing the peace process to collapse.
“Peace is before our eyes. We cannot fall at the last hurdle, nor lose what we have gained,” Wang said.
Dar was in Shanghai to attend the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), where Pakistan formally joined the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) as a founding member.
Read More: Iran Hits US Bases in Gulf as American Strikes Enter Sixth Day
In a separate statement, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said the two foreign ministers reviewed the broad spectrum of bilateral ties and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the Pakistan-China all-weather strategic cooperative partnership.
The two sides also underscored the importance of accelerating high-quality development under CPEC 2.0 and agreed to expand cooperation in trade, investment, science and technology, the digital economy and artificial intelligence.
They also exchanged views on regional and global developments, reaffirming their commitment to maintaining close coordination and strengthening cooperation at multilateral forums.
Read More: Oil Prices Rise for Fourth Day on US-Iran Tensions
The meeting came as hostilities between the United States and Iran intensified for a sixth consecutive day, with both sides exchanging fresh attacks that have raised fears of a wider regional conflict and further uncertainty over the future of the Islamabad peace initiative.
Pakistan has repeatedly urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint, end the violence and return to dialogue, maintaining that diplomacy remains the only sustainable solution to the crisis.
