Pakistani premier hopes ceasefire in Lebanon paves way for sustainable peace

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday welcomed a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, hoping it will pave the way for sustainable peace in the region.

Sharif lauded the role of US President Donald Trump for facilitating the ceasefire “through bold and sagacious diplomatic efforts.”

“Pakistan reaffirms its unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon, and will continue to support all efforts aimed at lasting peace in the region,” Sharif said in a statement through US social media company X.

Sharif is currently in Türkiye’s southern resort city of Antalya, participating in the fifth edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

A day earlier, Trump announced that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to begin a 10-day ceasefire starting at 2100GMT on Thursday following Tuesday’s US-mediated talks in Washington, DC.

However, the Lebanese army said early Friday it had recorded several ceasefire violations by Israel, including sporadic shelling targeting villages in southern Lebanon.

The US and Israel began attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, prompting retaliation from Tehran against US allies in the Gulf, and from the Lebanese group Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel then began striking Hezbollah, killing nearly 2,200 people and displacing 1 million over the last six weeks.

The Iran war is also on a halt, and efforts to end it permanently are underway.