ISLAMABAD, JULY 23, SPA -- WITH ISRAELI TANKS ALREADY IN BEIRUT, PAKISTAN HAS STEPPED UP DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS TO COORDINATE RESPONSES FROM THE MUSLIM COUNTRIES TO THE ESCALATING CONFLICT IN LEBANON, OFFICIALSSAID ON SUNDAY. FOREIGN OFFICE SPOKESPERSON TASNEEM ASLAM TOLD DEUTSCHE PRESSE-AGENTUR (DPA) THAT PAKISTAN HAS INTENSIFIED CONSULTATIONS WITH THE MEMBER COUNTRIES OF THE ORGANIZATION OF ISLAMIC CONFERENCE (OIC)FOR A "JOINT RESPONSE" TO THE CRISIS SITUATION IN LEBANON. ON LATE SATURDAY, PAKISTAN’S PRIME MINISTER SHAUKAT AZIZ TELEPHONED HIS MALAYSIAN AND TURKISH COUNTERPARTS TO DISCUSS THE "ISRAELI AGGRESSION." MORE THAN 350 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED SINCE THE ISRAELI’S MILITARY ONSLAUGHT ON BEIRUT. IN HIS TALKS WITH MALAYSIAN PRIME MINISTER ABDULLAH BADAWI, WHO CURRENTLY HOLDS THE CHAIR OF 57-MEMBER OIC, AZIZ DISCUSSED VARIOUS PROPOSALS AT BILATERAL AND AT THE OIC LEVEL TO END THE CONFLICT. ACCORDING TO THE ASSOCIATED PRESS OF PAKISTAN, THEY EXPRESSED DEEP CONCERN AND "RESOLVED TO SUPPORT ALL INITIATIVES TO PREVENT FURTHER LOSS OF LIFE AND PROPERTY IN LEBANON." AZIZ ALSO SPOKE TO HIS TURKISH COUNTERPART RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN AND UNDERLINED THE NEED FOR IMMEDIATE PEACE IN LEBANON. IN A HIGH-LEVEL MEETING SATURDAY, ATTENDED BY PRIME MINISTER AZIZ, PRESIDENT GENERAL PERVEZ MUSHARRAF ASKED THE UNITED NATIONS TO IMMEDIATELY INTERVENE TO END THE CRISIS. "THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THE MAJOR POWERS AND THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL, MUST URGENTLY INTERVENE TO CONTAIN THE SITUATION THROUGH AN IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE, DE-ESCALATION AND REVERSAL OF ISRAELI AGGRESSION," AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT SAID AFTER THE MEETING IN THE GARRISON TOWN OF RAWALPINDI. MUSHARRAF AND HIS IRANIAN COUNTERPART MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD ALSO SPOKE THROUGH TELEPHONE ON FRIDAY AND EXPRESSED GRAVE CONCERN OVER THE SITUATION IN LEBANON. --SPA 23/07/2006 11:45 ت م www.spa.gov.sa/377552