"There is always an appropriate time to act as a mediator and Pakistan will become one when the time comes," Sartaj Aziz, Advisor to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs told reporters. Aziz reiterated that Islamabad would maintain neutrality in the conflict and called on the Islamic world to work to ease tensions between Riyadh and Tehran. This dispute should not become a sectarian conflict in Pakistan, he said.
About 20 percent of Pakistan’s population are Shias, like most Iranians, and 75 percent are Sunnis, the dominant group in the Wahhabist kingdom. Last week, Aziz said that Sharif’s government was willing to help ease tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran. “We will play a positive and balanced role,” the official said to parliament after warning about the serious consequences of the situation in the Muslim world.
For its part, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) called on national media to maintain a balanced news coverage on the subject. PEMRA issued guidelines advising caution to national television and called on them to make a "professional" coverage in order to prevent damage to relations with friend countries. The institution criticized statements by some anchors or experts, believing that they hurt the feelings of people from different branches within Islam, thus undermining government efforts to defuse sectarian tensions, it warns.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Sharif received Saudi Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed al Jubeir to discuss, among other topics, the Islamic anti-terrorist alliance proposed by Riyadh. Even though Islamabad was receptive to the initiative, it opposed the coalition going against any country like Iran or Syria, while rejecting sending troops abroad without the United Nations' consent.
As part of the Saudi strategy to promote its alliance and amidst the conflict with Iran, the second Crown Prince and Defense Minister of Saudi Arabia, Muhammad bin Salman Al Saud also arrived in Islamabad today. Last weekend, a group of people stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad north eastern capital city of Khorasan Razavi province to protest against the execution of the Shia cleric Nimr Mohammad Baqir al-Nimr by Saudi Arabia, which was taken as a pretext for Riyadh to break off diplomatic relations.
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