(Image source from: News24online.com)

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated on Wednesday that the ongoing war between the US and Iran has significantly harmed Pakistan's economic growth achieved in the last two years. He emphasized that his government will persist in working to reduce conflicts between the two fighting nations and promote peace in West Asia.

During a Cabinet meeting, Shehbaz mentioned that the bill for oil imports in Pakistan rose from 300 million dollars before the conflict to 800 million dollars, putting more strain on the economy. He pointed out a decline in fuel usage this week in comparison to the week before. According to an official statement, Shehbaz mentioned that a task force is keeping a daily check on the situation. He stressed the need for joint efforts to face the difficulties ahead. Updating the Cabinet about the developments in the discussions between the US and Iran and Pakistan's actions to reduce tensions in the area, Shehbaz highlighted Pakistan's genuine attempts to foster regional stability. He noted that extensive talks between Iran and the US took place in Islamabad on April 11, spanning 21 hours and representing an important diplomatic achievement.

Shehbaz conveyed that Pakistan worked sincerely and in a united way to ensure the negotiations were successful, with help from Field Marshal Asim Munir, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, as well as other high-ranking officials. He remarked that due to these efforts, the ceasefire between Iran and the US was prolonged and remains effective. The prime minister told the cabinet that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, along with his team, had visited Pakistan for various discussions, including a two-hour meeting with him. He mentioned that Araghchi assured him that Iran would respond positively after talking to its leaders. "Before the Iranian foreign minister went to Russia, I had a phone conversation with him. He reassured me that all his meetings in Oman were genuinely held and, after conferring with his leadership, he would provide a positive response shortly," he said, referring to Araghchi's fast visits to Islamabad, Muscat, and Moscow during the weekend.

He expressed optimism that the fighting would come to an end soon. Pakistan is planning to host a second meeting between US and Iran officials. The Iranian minister made two quick trips to Pakistan within two days over the weekend, meeting with Field Marshal Munir and PM Shehbaz to talk about the regional situation. On Sunday, Trump reaffirmed that US and Iranian representatives could have phone discussions to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. Last week, Trump announced that the ceasefire with Iran would continue indefinitely, providing Tehran with more time to formulate a unified proposal to resolve the war. The conflict began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, resulting in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several high-ranking commanders. The retaliatory actions by Iran extended the conflict throughout the entire Gulf region.