India, Sept. 3 -- Pakistan on Wednesday said that it was "hopeful" for peace in West Asia despite recent escalation between the US and Iran, underlining the need for "dialogue and diplomacy" for stability in the region. The remark made by Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi comes days after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit on Monday and discussed the evolving regional situation.

"The prime minister had reiterated Pakistan's commitment to peace through restraint, dialogue and diplomacy, while stressing that the Islamabad MoU offered the most viable pathway to lasting peace and stability in the region," Andrabi said. "Despite r...