ANWAR AND PAKISTAN PM SHEHBAZ RAISE CONCERN OVER MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT

By Shakir Husain

NEW DELHI, March 5 (Bernama) -- Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday expressed concern over the ongoing war in the Middle East after the United States and Israel attacked Iran.

"We shared deep concern over the escalating situation in the Middle East following Israel's attacks on Iran and the subsequent strikes on brotherly Gulf countries.

"I emphasised the imperative of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states and the urgent need for restraint, de-escalation, and diplomacy," the Pakistani premier said in a post on X after a phone conversation with Anwar.

Iran has responded to the US-Israeli attacks launching missiles on Israeli targets as well as on American military assets in the region.

This has disrupted air traffic and shipping, with growing risks to energy and food supplies.

While the conflict rages in the Middle East, Pakistan is also engaged in a confrontation with the Taliban interim administration in Afghanistan.

"We agreed to remain in close contact and coordinate our efforts for peace and stability in the region, and I also briefed him on recent developments regarding Afghanistan and Pakistan's efforts to combat terrorism," Shehbaz said.

Meanwhile, Anwar also held a phone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

In a statement, the Turkish Presidency said the leaders discussed the Turkiye-Malaysia bilateral relations, as well as regional and global developments.

"Noting that the Turkiye-Malaysia relations are progressing at an excellent level in all areas, President Erdogan said that efforts are continuing to enhance the relations even further," it said.

The statement noted that Turkiye is closely following the conflict that broke out in Iran and then spilled across the region and if it continues the whole region may be dragged into more problems.

-- BERNAMA