PDP, NC, Congress Leaders Weigh In on Pakistan's West Asia Mediation Role

"It is a welcome step. Some countries have taken an initiative to de-escalate the crisis. There should not be any criticism about it. Every country should play a role," Mehdi told ANI.

Speaking on the same issue, JKNC MLA Tanvir Sadiq said that only India can mediate the West Asia crisis correctly.

"I will talk about my own country more. Iran and India have a very strong and old relationship. If anyone can mediate this correctly, it is this country," Sadiq told ANI.

Furthermore, Congress MLA Nizam Uddin Bhat said it doesn't matter who is mediating, emphasising the human cost of the conflict.

"These are larger issues. We want the war to stop; it does not matter who is mediating. Innocent lives and collateral properties are being lost," he told ANI.

The remarks came as US President Donald Trump claimed that indirect negotiations between the US and Iran, facilitated by Pakistani intermediaries, are making "positive progress", according to the Financial Times.

Trump said backchannel talks are ongoing through Pakistani "emissaries" and expressed optimism that a deal could be reached soon, citing Iran's recent permission for Pakistani-flagged oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz as a sign of respect.

Meanwhile, on the US report that Pakistan is sheltering terrorist groups targeting India, PDP leader Mehdi said, "The US only knows about the report. Our priority should be to bring stability to the region. We should try to find a solution."

JKNC MLA Sadiq commented on the contradiction, saying, "Then why are they being accepted as mediators? This country has seen a lot of terrorism, and it is time to end it."

Furthermore, Congress MLA Bhat stressed trust in India's own security apparatus. "India's security agencies take care of these issues. They do not need anyone's advice. We trust our own security agencies," he said.

A recent US Congressional research report dated March 25 has highlighted Pakistan as a base for numerous armed terror groups, some active since the 1980s. According to the report, these groups are globally oriented, Afghanistan-focused, India-focused, domestic, or sectarian in nature. Twelve of them are designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) under US law, and most follow Islamist extremist ideology.

The remarks come amid ongoing tensions in West Asia, where the conflict between Israel, the United States, and Iran, which began on February 28, has disrupted global energy supplies.

- ANI