Prabowo and Pakistan PM discuss plan to go to Tehran to help curb escalation

Jakarta (ANTARA) – President Prabowo Subianto and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke by telephone about their plan to travel to Tehran, Iran, to help de-escalate the tensions currently affecting Gulf and Middle East nations.

President Prabowo shared the contents of his discussion with PM Sharif during a meeting with kiai, ulama and Muslim intellectuals at the Indonesian Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Thursday evening, 5 March.

‘He (President Prabowo) said earlier, before this meeting, he had spoken by telephone with the Prime Minister of Pakistan,’ said Jimly Asshiddiqie, chair of the ICMI Advisory Board, after the meeting with President Prabowo at the Palace on Thursday night.

‘And what I am grateful for is that the Pakistani Prime Minister has agreed to join President Prabowo in visiting Tehran. That is what the President explained,’ Jimly added.

‘Jimly then told the gathering that President Prabowo explained that the mediation intention is more about damping the escalation currently occurring in Gulf states, particularly after the United States military and the Zionist State of Israel unilaterally attacked Iran last week.’

‘Thus, it is not about negotiating nor mediating between what with not only in the sense of negotiation or mediation between Israel and Iran; not like that. This is because a person (the highest authority) has been killed, right? The Ayatollah has been killed, so offering peace is not in that context, but this is to prevent escalation,’ Jimly explained.

‘So, not only Indonesia. In other words, what President Prabowo envisages has the support of the Pakistani Prime Minister. … They will go to Tehran together,’ Jimly said.

‘Imagine Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Indonesia — among these four, they are the largest Muslim nations, with Indonesia and Pakistan the biggest non-Arab ones. The Arab states have many issues, including internal conflicts, and there are five American military bases in the Gulf. Politically, they are involved in the Israel, America versus (Iran) conflict. Therefore, the role of Indonesia and Pakistan as the largest Muslim-majority countries is crucial in urging peace, even if the chances are small, but it is worth trying,’ he continued.

‘Jimly noted that the initiative by President Prabowo has also received broad support from Muslim figures attending the palace meeting on Thursday night.’

’Separately, PM Sharif announced the contents of his discussion with President Prabowo. The Pakistani PM described the telephone discussion with the President as