Islamabad, March 12 Pakistan said on Thursday that it was playing the role of a bridge builder to help de-escalate the current tensions in West Asia.
"Our principled position on issues related to sovereignty, international law, and the UN charter, as well as dialogue and diplomacy, is respected in all regional capitals," Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi told reporters during his weekly press briefing here.
"This allows us to establish a channel of communication between the relevant capitals," he added.
When asked about remarks by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who talked about Pakistan "shuttling communications" between Tehran and Riyadh to ease tensions, Andrabi responded affirmatively.
"Regarding the communication we may have with Iran, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf countries – yes, we have an open channel of communication," he said.
"We are playing the role of a bridge builder," he added.
He also said that apart from engaging with other countries, Pakistan was also engaging with the US.
"There are various levels of engagement. You may recall that the Foreign Secretary had a telephone conversation with the US Under Secretary of State. Various other levels of diplomatic engagement continue with the US, and we will keep you updated on these developments as and when they happen," Andrabi said.
He also mentioned that Pakistan had been "in touch with the State Department through our embassy in Washington. The US embassy here is also in touch. So, yes, these dialogues are ongoing".
Andrabi also said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a telephonic conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday. "The prime minister offered condolences on the martyrdom of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei," he said.
He also said that PM Shehbaz expressed hope that Iran would enjoy peace, stability, dignity, and prosperity in the years ahead.
Talking about Afghanistan, Andrabi said that Pakistan conducted targeted operations with due diligence, ensuring that no civilians were harmed.
"We have nothing against Afghan citizens…We want no harm to them, and we will continue to exercise our due diligence in this regard," he said.
Andrabi said Pakistan emphatically communicated to the Afghan side and "to our interlocutors that we need verifiable assurances from the Afghan side that their territory would not be used for terrorism against Pakistan".
"Since those assurances have not been received, we will continue with our existing policy with respect to that country," he said.
The spokesperson also expressed concerns over the long-term uranium supply agreement between Canada and India. He reiterated that this arrangement represents yet another country-specific exception in the field of nuclear cooperation.