Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Saturday said Pakistan had engaged in diplomatic outreach amid rising regional tensions, expressing hope that the situation would improve through dialogue and restraint.
Speaking on the issue, Sanaullah said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently held a telephone conversation with the president of Iran and subsequently travelled to Saudi Arabia as part of diplomatic efforts with key regional stakeholders.
He said Iran should avoid targeting Muslim countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, and stressed the need for restraint in the current circumstances.
Sanaullah added that Pakistan’s leadership remained in contact with various Muslim states and appreciated Saudi Arabia’s policy of restraint, noting that the kingdom had so far refrained from reacting directly to the situation.
“If Saudi Arabia itself is not responding, it would not expect others to take such action either,” he said.
Referring to relations with Afghanistan, the adviser said Pakistan had no intention of occupying or harming the neighbouring country, adding that Islamabad’s primary objective was to safeguard its own interests and prevent threats emanating from across the border.
Commenting on the controversy surrounding the Sindh governorship, Sanaullah said it had been agreed earlier that the posts of governor in Sindh and Balochistan would go to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
He said there had never been any commitment that the Sindh governor would be appointed from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).
Sanaullah noted that Kamran Tessori had been serving as governor since the caretaker government and therefore an immediate change was not considered necessary initially.
However, he said circumstances later developed that made it appropriate to replace the Sindh governor.
He added that Tessori had been appointed during the caretaker setup and said former caretaker prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar would be in a better position to clarify whose recommendation had led to the appointment.
The adviser said the government remained in contact with MQM-P regarding the matter and had communicated the decision through proper channels.
He also said MQM-P had not specifically demanded the Sindh governorship, adding that several of the party’s demands related to Karachi had already been addressed while efforts to resolve other issues would continue.
