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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan¡¯s ambassador to the United Nations has urged the Security Council to act ¡°urgently and decisively¡± to ensure cessation of hostilities in the Middle East, as tensions surge following Washington¡¯s move to join the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel. 

The international community has intensified its calls for peace in the Middle East after US carried out attacks against Iran¡¯s key nuclear facilities on Sunday, joining Israel in the biggest Western military action against the Islamic Republic since its 1979 revolution.

Pakistan¡¯s UN mission announced on Sunday that Islamabad, Beijing and Moscow will present a joint resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the Middle East. The announcement was made as the Security Council convened an emergency session to discuss US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Pakistan has strongly condemned the American strikes, reiterating that Tehran reserves the right to respond under the UN Charter.

¡°As the body entrusted with the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, the Security Council must act urgently and decisively,¡± Pakistan¡¯s Permanent Representative to the UN Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said during the Security Council emergency meeting. 

He said it was the Security Council¡¯s collective responsibility to reject and condemn attacks against Iran launched since June 13, stating that they were in ¡°clear contravention¡± of international law and the UN Charter. The Pakistani envoy reaffirmed that it was the Security Council¡¯s obligation to protect civilian lives and properties on both sides. 

Ahmad called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a ¡°complete ceasefire¡± in the Middle East. 

¡°Promote urgent recourse to dialogue and diplomacy, consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, to find a peaceful and lasting resolution to the Iranian nuclear issue,¡± the Pakistani ambassador said. 

Iran on Sunday requested for the UN Security Council meeting, calling on the 15-member body ¡°to address this blatant and unlawful act of aggression, to condemn it in the strongest possible terms¡± following America¡¯s strikes. 

Israel¡¯s UN Ambassador Danny Danon said in a statement on Sunday that the US and Israel ¡°do not deserve any condemnation, but rather an expression of appreciation and gratitude for making the world a safer place.¡±

UN Secretary-General Guterres branded the US strikes on Iran as a ¡°dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge ¨C and a direct threat to international peace and security.¡±

Iran¡¯s UN Ambassador Ali Bahreini said Washington had decided to ¡°destroy diplomacy¡± with its attacks, making it clear that the Iranian military will decide on the ¡°timing, nature and scale¡± of its response.

ISLAMABAD: A high-level parliamentary delegation of the Saudi Shoura Council arrived in Pakistan to strengthen parliamentary ties between the two countries, the National Assembly of Pakistan said on Sunday.

The delegation, led by the Head of the Saudi-Pak Parliamentary Friendship Committee Dr. Abdulrahman bin Sanhat bin Abdullah Al-Harbi, is visiting Pakistan on the invitation of Pakistan¡¯s National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.

It comprises members of the Saudi Shoura Council and the Saudi-Pak Parliamentary Friendship Committee, Dr. Iman bint Abdulaziz Al-Jabreen and Engineer Salem bin Ali Al-Shahrani.

The delegates held a meeting with NA Speaker Sadiq in Islamabad, during which both sides agreed to promote parliamentary exchanges, according to a statement on the National Assembly of Pakistan¡¯s Facebook page.

¡°The Pak-Saudi Friendship Group established in the National Assembly is playing an important role in promoting harmony between the parliaments of the two countries,¡± NA Speaker Sadiq was quoted as saying.

¡°Exchanges of parliamentary delegations will give the parliamentarians of both countries an opportunity to benefit from each other¡¯s experiences.¡±

Dr. Abdulrahman said º£½ÇÖ±²¥ attaches great importance to its relations with Pakistan, according to the Pakistani National Assembly statement.

¡°During the meeting, discussions were held on the unity of the Muslim world, and joint role for peace and development in the region,¡± it read.

Pakistan and º£½ÇÖ±²¥ enjoy strong trade, defense and brotherly relations. The Kingdom is home to over 2 million Pakistani expatriates, serving as the top destination for remittances for the cash-strapped South Asian country.

º£½ÇÖ±²¥ has also extended significant support to Pakistan during prolonged economic challenges faced by Islamabad in recent years, including external financing and assistance with International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan programs.