Pak offers to mediate to resolve Iran crisis

Islamabad, Jun.11 (ANI): Amidst the UN Security Council's sanctions over its nuclear programme, Iran has found support in Pakistan, which has offered to mediate between the world powers and Tehran to end the crisis 'diplomatically.'

With Iran maintaining an inflexible stand over its 'disputed' nuclear aims, Islamabad, while calling for a negotiated settlement, said that it was ready to play its due role to end the crisis.

"Pakistan has always called for a negotiated settlement of the issues surrounding Iran's nuclear programme. We will continue encouraging all the parties concerned to reengage in purposeful diplomacy and settle differences in the spirit of cooperation and accommodation," Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said during a weekly briefing here.

"Beyond that I would not like to speculate as to the implications for the region or why this sanction has come about, as we already know the background. We all know what has led to this resolution," he added.

Basit also made it clear that though the international community plans to economically 'strangulate' Iran, those sanctions would not affect the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline.

"As far as our IPI project is concerned, it is a commercial agreement to meet our energy deficit and beyond the purview of this resolution," Basit said in response to a question.(ANI)