Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Friday said that Pakistan, a nuclear state, must play a 'leadership role', in resolving Saudi-Iran standoff, besides making its position clear that it is not part of any coalition aimed at targeting Iran. After holding a meeting with Iranian Ambassador earlier in the day, Imran told a press conference that being a nuclear armed Muslim nation, Pakistan has an important role to play in resolving the ongoing tension between the two Muslim states - Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Referring to a recently formed coalition of thirty-four countries minus Iran to combat terrorism, he said that the government must clear its position that it was not part of any anti-Iran coalition. He said that the Iranians think that Pakistan's joining the coalition was taken as we are acting against Iranian interests, for which Imran said the government should clear the misunderstanding.
"We are in opposition, but we have made our position clear. We still don't know what role Pakistan is going to play in resolving the issue...it [government] should make clear its position," he added. PTI Vice Chairman, who was also present in the press conference, quickly added that the government had agreed to brief National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs next Friday despite knowing the tension is escalating with each passing day.
"It is a pity to see the government delaying the briefing to the members of parliament on Iran-Saudi tension....it should brief the parliament as soon as possible but the non-seriousness of the government is quite unfortunate," he regretted. Imran insisted that Saudi embassy in Tehran was attacked, which if Iran is to be believed, paved the way the for the ongoing conflict between the two countries, adding Pakistan must play the role of a mediator in order to ensure the tensions do not escalate.
In a hurriedly-called press briefing, the PTI warned that tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran would be disastrous for Pakistan, adding that we should step in the efforts to resolve the issue amicably as the time has come that the crisis must not be allowed to get worse.
He said that any tussle between Iran and Saudi Arabia would harm the whole Muslim world, adding that time has come that Pakistan should clear its position that if it joined the coalition to fight terrorism than Iran must not take it in a negative sense. "The whole Ummah will suffer if the tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran escalate, so there is no second opinion about it that it must stop here and Pakistan should play its due role in resolving the crisis," he maintained.