ISLAMABAD: Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, on Thursday said that the country hoped for an “early normalization of the situation in Iran,” expressing support for all diplomatic efforts aimed at regional peace and stability.
“A stable and peaceful Iran is in the interest of Pakistan, the region, and beyond,” Iftikhar said.
Unrest in Iran began last week as traders and shopkeepers protested over economic difficulties. Tehran has asserted that the protests were “hijacked” by armed groups with foreign backing. Separately, earlier this week, US President Donald Trump repeatedly talked in recent days about coming to the aid of the Iranian people through military action over the crackdown on protests.
While speaking at the UN Security Council, Iftikhar said that Pakistan was “carefully observing developments in Iran and the region in recent days,” stating that “new threats to regional peace and stability are emerging at a time of heightened tensions and thus remain a serious cause of concern.”
“Iran is an immediate neighbor of Pakistan and a brotherly country. The people of our two nations share deep-rooted historical, friendly, cultural, and religious bonds,” the Ambassador said, according to the statement on X.
The ambassador said that Pakistan had “full confidence” in the wisdom of the Iranian people and leadership, “rooted in their rich culture, ancient civilization, history, and resilience to address all challenges.”
He added that any “external interference in the domestic affairs of states” was inconsistent with international law and principles of the UN Charter.
“We strongly believe that all disputes must be resolved through peaceful means and in accordance with international law,” the ambassador said, adding that “continued hostilities, use of force and unilateral actions will only take us further away from the resolution of core issues and cause unnecessary humanitarian suffering.”
He called for all parties to exercise “restraint, act responsibly, [and] strictly stay within the bounds of international law.”
“Diplomacy and dialogue should be the guiding principles for achieving negotiated settlement of all contentious issues in accordance with the rights, obligations, and responsibilities of the parties concerned,” the statement said while quoting the ambassador.
Ambassador Iftikhar reiterated that Pakistan consistently advocated the “primacy of diplomatic engagement and the imperative of avoiding confrontation and conflict in a region already beset by tensions and volatility.”
“We sincerely hope that the situation in Iran will soon return to calm and normalcy, free from any internal turmoil or external pressure, and all relevant parties will return to the negotiating table to find a lasting solution to their differences, based on mutual respect and understanding,” Ambassador Iftikhar said.
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