Pak PM Sharif says Islamabad working for West Asia peace

Islamabad, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said Islamabad was making all efforts to promote peace in West Asia despite the challenges facing the region.Pak PM Sharif says Islamabad working for West Asia peaceAddressing a meeting of the federal cabinet, Sharif also spoke about the government's efforts to combat terrorism and mitigate the impact of rising oil prices."Pakistan is playing its role as before in restoring peace in the region," he said, referring to West Asia.The prime minister recalled Pakistan's recent diplomatic engagements with Iran and other regional countries, as well as its efforts under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye in August. The agreement stipulates that an armed attack on any one of the three countries would be regarded as an attack on all.Sharif said a Pakistani delegation had visited Tehran twice over the past two to three weeks. The discussions focused not only on reducing regional tensions but also on promoting greater regional cooperation, he said.Pakistan has played a mediating role between the United States and Iran.In June, Pakistan helped broker the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between Washington and Tehran, which was intended to halt hostilities and provide a framework for negotiations towards a broader settlement.The process, however, later stalled amid renewed tensions between the two sides, with the 60-day framework envisaged under the MoU expiring without a final agreement.Sharif also said the government was committed to eliminating militancy and had finalised a proposed 160 billion rupees package for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with a focus on development, public welfare and strengthening security and counter-terrorism capabilities.Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been under governor's rule and a state of emergency since October, after President Asif Ali Zardari suspended the provincial government led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the party of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, amid concerns over worsening militancy and governance.He reiterated the government's commitment to eliminating terrorism from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through coordinated efforts involving the armed forces, the provincial administration and the federal government.This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.