WANA (Apr 09) – Pakistan’s ambassador to Washington has emphasized that Lebanon remains part of the ceasefire agreement brokered by Pakistan’s prime minister, even if Israel and the United States insist otherwise.

 

On Wednesday evening, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, referring to the escalation of Israeli attacks on Lebanon, stated that this was not a new agreement reached on Tuesday. Rather, Lebanon continues to be included in the ceasefire deal that Pakistan’s prime minister helped mediate a day earlier.

 

Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan’s prime minister—who played a key role in mediating the agreement announced on Tuesday—said: “Iran and the United States, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere, including Lebanon and other areas, effective right away.”

 

However, just hours after the agreement, Israel intensified its attacks on Lebanon once again. According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health, at least 254 people were killed and 1,165 injured in these strikes. The Israeli military confirmed that the offensive included attacks on many civilian areas.

 

In contrast to the mediators, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the ceasefire “does not include Lebanon.”

 

Meanwhile, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt echoed this position, confirming that the U.S. stance is that “Lebanon is not part of the ceasefire,” adding that “this has been communicated to all parties involved.”

 

Nevertheless, Pakistan’s ambassador to Washington told CNN that the agreement announced by his country’s prime minister—which included Lebanon—accurately reflects reality and what both sides had agreed upon, and could not be more precise. He stressed that the Pakistani prime minister’s understanding remains that Lebanon is part of the ceasefire.

 

Rizwan Saeed Sheikh added that this is yet another example of how a ceasefire can be “undermined” by Israel’s actions. He also noted that “there have been cases in the past where ceasefires have been broken,” likely referring to repeated Israeli violations of its previous ceasefire with Lebanon, the ongoing ceasefire in Gaza, and the repeated assassinations of Iranian negotiators while they were engaged in talks with the United States.