Updates from UNGA: Pakistan ready to promote peace, PM Shehbaz says after meeting Iran's president at UN

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his country's commitment to promoting peace and de-escalating tensions during a meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at the United Nations. This encounter occurred during the general debate of the UN General Assembly's 81st session, where world leaders convened in New York.

Upon his return, Shehbaz described the meeting as "very good" and assured the Iranian leader of Islamabad's support for a peace process. He highlighted their Memorandum of Understanding as "very comprehensive," though neither party provided further details on the exact contents of the document. When questioned about the feasibility of negotiations given the stark differences between Israeli and Iranian positions, Shehbaz acknowledged the challenges but remained hopeful.

He emphasized that achieving peace is rarely straightforward and that obstacles and impediments must be overcome. He called for global cooperation and support from friendly nations to achieve this goal. Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam commended Pakistan's diplomatic efforts to resolve the US-Iran conflict and prevent further escalation.

Salam expressed confidence in Pakistan's ability to succeed in bringing tensions down across the region and thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz for his efforts regarding the situation in Lebanon. Pakistan has consistently engaged in diplomatic endeavors to maintain open channels between Washington and Tehran, with Pakistani officials upholding contacts with both sides.

Qatar has also played a role in shuttle diplomacy between the US and Iran in New York. Prime Minister Shehbaz is slated to address the UNGA on Friday.