Pakistan in limelight

PRIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday announced that Pakistan will host the much-awaited Iran-US deal signing ceremony in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 19 (Friday), terming the understanding reached between the two countries as a “historic milestone of peace”. Addressing the National Assembly session, hours after he and President Donald Trump announced that the deal between the United States and Iran had been reached, the PM congratulated the nation over the landmark development and said that the prestige and honour Allah Almighty has bestowed upon Pakistan today is something nations have sought for centuries. The dangerous conflict in the Gulf sent shockwaves across the globe as it badly affected economies of almost all countries of the world and that is why the breakthrough achieved through the hard work of Pakistani leadership is being appreciated by all. No doubt, the process was sincerely facilitated by countries like Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and China but there is no denying the fact that Pakistan played the lead role and surmounted enormous challenges because of sincerity and commitment to the cause of regional and global peace and security. The PM also referred to these difficulties in his speech saying there were several stages and many ups and downs during the negotiations when it seemed the matter would collapse at any moment. He particularly mentioned the contribution made by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, saying the army chief had devoted day and night to extinguishing the flames of war and establishing peace, pointing out he was personally a witness to all these developments and that “this great son” did not lose courage. The enormity of the challenge faced by mediators can be gauged by the fact that both the United States and Iran were poles apart on almost all the issues involved and in the backdrop of pressure of the domestic public opinion none of them was willing to concede anythin