By Imran Nasir

ISLAMABAD (TSAT) - Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday telephoned Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and seek his help for an immediate cease-fire to end the ongoing war with Russia.

According to Sources, Zelenskyy briefed Khan on the current situation and sought his help to use influence along with China to end the ongoing conflict.

Khan assured the Ukrainian President and told him that his Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has already arrived in China and will meet his Russian counterpart.

In the recent OIC, Foreign Ministers meeting in Islamabad, the Muslim world top diplomats had authorized Pakistan to set with China for joint efforts to end the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict.

Pakistan Prime Minister's Office in a statement said that Khan expressed deep regret over the ongoing military conflict and reiterated his country’s principled position to support immediate cessation of hostilities and resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. 

Khan added that the war has an adverse impact as the prices of oil and other commodities have been raised in developing countries.

“Non-partisan countries like Pakistan were in a position to play a helpful role in reinforcing efforts for cessation of hostilities and a diplomatic solution,” Khan told the Ukrainian President.

Pakistan is among those countries that didn’t condemn the Russian attack on Ukraine despite pressure from the US and other western countries. 

Due to its neutral position and recent top-level engagement with Moscow, Islamabad along with Beijing could play its role to ease the ongoing war in Ukraine. 

Zelenskyy also said his people seeking peace which is his government unconditional priority.

“Had a phone conversation with  Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI. Spoke about our struggle against Russian aggression. The people of  seek peace. This is our unconditional priority,” he wrote on Twitter. 

So far at least 1,151 civilians have been killed and 1,842 injured in the ongoing war in Ukraine since Feb. 24, according to the UN.

While over 3.87 million Ukrainians displaced and have fled to neighboring countries.