Shehbaz hails Trump as ‘architect of peace’

LONDON: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said US President Donald Trump is the “architect of peace” in South Asia, as he helped prevent a war between India and Pakistan and demonstrated true world-class statesmanship and vision.

The premier was speaking to a select group of Pakistani media here on Sunday. He thanked the US President for preventing, what he described, as a potentially catastrophic war in South Asia, calling him the “architect of peace” in the region and the wider world.

He was speaking at the Pakistan High Commission upon his return from a high-level diplomatic tour of the United States and Saudi Arabia where he held top level meetings. The PM said, “Had US president Donald Trump not intervened, South Asia could have witnessed a major war. Millions could have suffered. There was a huge danger. He showed true leadership in real time and his intervention was vital in saving the two countries from going to war. For this reason, we nominated President Trump for a peace prize — in recognition of his statesmanship and vision. During our meeting, we told the President why he deserved the nomination.”

The prime minister also underscored the close working relationship between the civilian leadership and Pakistan’s military command. He heaped praise on the Field Marshal. He said: “Asim Munir is a true nationalist. He only cares for Pakistan. Under his leadership, both the military and the Air Force have achieved remarkable successes. He is a man of vision and bravery. We discuss all important matters and take decision in unity. Its all for Pakistan.”

Reaffirming the strong civil-military alignment, PM Shehbaz added, “Munir and I consult on all major decisions. We are fully on the same page.”

He also highlighted the significance of a recently concluded defence agreement with Saudi Arabia, calling it a “historic pact” with “global impact.” The agreement, he said, carried a broader message of “peace and cooperation” for the world.

The prime minister said he had briefed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in Geneva in detail about his meetings with Trump and other key international leaders. “Mian Nawaz Sharif has been fully supportive and is endorsing all the steps taken during the visits,” he stated.

Shehbaz Sharif said he expects “encouraging” outcomes from US President Donald Trump’s meeting with Muslim leaders in Washington.

“We fully participated in the Gaza meeting, and God Willing, its encouraging results will come out soon,” PM Shehbaz said. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Information Minister Atta Tarar accompanied him.

The summit, which Trump initiated and co-hosted with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, took place last week on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York.

It was attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.

Shehbaz Sharif added that Islamabad was part of Trump’s efforts to bring peace to Palestine and end Israeli oppression in Gaza. Expressing concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, he prayed that the “cruelty and barbarity” being witnessed there would cease soon.