By Ochiaka Ugwu
The Managing Director of Peoples Media Limited, publisher of Peoples Daily Newspaper Alhaji Maharazu Ahmed has expressed confidence on the Five-Point Initiative proposed by China and Pakistan for restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and Middle East Region saying it was the best option in resolving the conflict.
Ahmed, who was a Deputy Editor-in Chief in the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), described the five-point initiative by China and Pakistan as the best option so far articulated towards ending the ongoing war.
He noted the initiative was necessary for peace and stability of the Gulf countries and the Middle East for all sides to the conflict to agree to immediate cessation of hostilities and discuss openly and without conditions.
Continuing, he emphasized the importance of Strait of Hormuz and the need for its security to be guaranteed, saying the flow of critical energy was vital including the security of shipping lanes for global economy stability.
While appealing to nations involved in the conflict to embrace the initiative, he said the initiative if implemented will immediately see the end of the war.
According to Ahmed, “This initiative is a welcome development. It shows a real and sincere commitment by the two countries to facilitate an end to the US/Israel and Iran war, which other countries should align with.
“The five-point initiative by China and Pakistan is the best option so far articulated towards ending the ongoing war. It is necessary for peace and stability of the Gulf countries and the Middle East for all sides to the conflict to agree to immediate cessation of hostilities and discuss openly and without conditions. Countries must respect the territorial integrity of each other as clearly enunciated in the UN Charter. International laws must be respected.
“Most importantly, the security of the Strait of Hormuz should be guaranteed. The flow of critical energy is vital, and as the statement by China and Pakistan indicated, security of shipping lanes is vital to the global economy.
“I believe if this initiative is implemented, including the protection of civilians and critical public assets, this war will end sooner than expected. It is important for countries involved in the conflict to agree to this initiative and give peace a chance” he concluded.
Penultimate week, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China H.E. Mr. Wang Yi and Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar met in Beijing on 31 March 2026 to review the situation in the Gulf and Middle East Region.
The two sides proposed the following Five-Point Initiative for restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and Middle East Region following US/Israel vs Iran war:
I. Cessation of Hostilities: China and Pakistan call for immediate cessation of hostilities and utmost efforts to prevent the conflict from spreading. Humanitarian assistance must be allowed to all war-affected areas.
II. Start of peace talks as soon as possible. Sovereignty, territorial integrity, national independence and security of Iran and the Gulf states should be safeguarded. Dialogue and diplomacy is the only viable option to resolve conflicts. China and Pakistan support the relevant parties in initiating talks, with all parties committing to peaceful resolution of disputes, and refraining from the use or the threat of use of force during peace talks.
III. Security of nonmilitary targets. The principle of protecting civilians in military conflict should be observed. China and Pakistan call on parties to the conflict to immediately stop attacks on civilians and nonmilitary targets, and fully adhere to International Humanitarian Law (IHL), and stop attacking important infrastructure, including energy, desalination and power facilities, and peaceful nuclear infrastructure, such as nuclear power plants.
IV. Security of shipping lanes. The Strait of Hormuz, together with its adjacent waters, is an important global shipping route for goods and energy. China and Pakistan call on the parties to protect the security of ships and crew members stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, allow the early and safe passage of civilian and commercial ships, and restore normal passage through the Strait as soon as possible.
V. Primacy of the United Nations Charter. China and Pakistan call for efforts to practice true multilateralism, to jointly strengthen the primacy of the U.N., and to support the conclusion of an agreement for establishing a comprehensive peace framework and realizing lasting peace based on the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter and international law.
With this peace move, many international commentators are seeing China as peacemaker who is desirous in resolving the conflict as the war chokes the global energy supply and sending oil prices soaring and beyond the reach of many.
They are even more convinced on China’s capability in negotiating an end to this conflict through dialogue and diplomacy which Beijing is known for.
It must have decided to play peacemaker role due to its concern for world peace and stability as the war jeopardizes them. The world needs a stable global economy as it begins to slow down economically because of an energy shock, that’s going to be tough for people all over the globe. This is why many analysts have welcomed China, Pakistan comprehensive and sustainable Five-Point-Initiative with open arms attesting to its capability of ending the conflict and reshaping the global economy for better.
