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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office on Thursday called on the international community to end Israel’s ongoing war against Iran, condemning Tel Aviv for launching an “unjustified and illegitimate” attack and demanding its accountability.
The statement came hours after Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, attended a luncheon at the White House hosted by US President Donald Trump, a rare engagement that lasted longer than scheduled.
Trump, who has publicly backed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and stated Iran will not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons, confirmed that the Israel-Iran conflict was discussed during his meeting with Munir.
While he did not share further details, Pakistan has maintained its longstanding position that Israel’s war with Iran threatens to destabilize the region.
“Pakistan strongly condemns unjustified and illegitimate aggression by Israel against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” foreign office spokesperson Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan said at the outset of his weekly press briefing.
“Pakistan stands in resolute solidarity with the people of Iran and unequivocally denounces these blatant provocations, which constitute a grave danger and a serious threat to the peace, security, and stability of the entire region and beyond, with serious implications,” he added. “The international community and the United Nations bear the responsibility to uphold international law, stop this aggression immediately and hold the aggressor accountable for its actions.”
Khan pointed to a joint statement released earlier this week by 20 countries, including Pakistan, calling for an immediate halt to hostilities in the Middle East and urging de-escalation.
The statement underscored the urgent need to establish “a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction,” applying to all states in the region without exception.
It further called on all Middle Eastern countries to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Asked whether the United States sought any “special favor” from Pakistan during the army chief’s meeting with Trump, Khan said both nations share “strong and multifaceted relations” with “a full agenda of interaction and cooperation.”
“So, I don’t know how to characterize or define a special favor,” he remarked.
The spokesperson reiterated that Pakistan has consistently advocated for diplomatic solutions to international conflicts and would support any meaningful initiative in that direction.

KARACHI: A 25-year-old fisherman has died from Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) in Karachi, health authorities confirmed on Thursday, marking Pakistan’s second fatality from the tick-borne virus this year.

The patient, Mohammad Zubair, a resident of Qur’angi Creek in Bin Qasim Town, butchered animals for two days during Eid Al-Adha earlier this month and developed high-grade fever, muscle pain and bleeding complications days later, according to a report by the District Health Officer (DHO) Malir.

“Active search of case was done surrounding that area, no any other case was found,” the official notification said, adding that Zubair’s family members were stable and showing no symptoms of the disease.

This comes just days after a 42-year-old man, also from Karachi’s Malir district, died of CCHF on June 17. According to the Sindh Health Department, his test report came back positive a day earlier, making him the province’s first confirmed fatality from the virus this year.

The Congo virus, which has a fatality rate ranging between 10 to 40 percent depending on timely treatment and the patient’s condition, is endemic in parts of Africa, Europe and Asia. In Pakistan, infections often spike around Eid Al-Adha, when millions of animals are bought, transported and slaughtered, increasing human exposure to infected ticks and animal blood.

Local health teams have carried out community awareness sessions in Karachi’s affected areas and advised residents to use protective clothing and follow hygiene measures when handling livestock.

There is currently no approved vaccine for the Congo virus, though experimental trials are underway in Europe.

Pakistan reported its first case of CCHF in 1976 and continues to see sporadic outbreaks, particularly in rural areas and provinces like Balochistan, which recorded 23 cases and five deaths last year.