ISLAMABAD, Mar 24 : Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said that Islamabad was “ready and honoured” to facilitate “meaningful and conclusive talks” between the US and Iran to end the ongoing conflict.
The announcement came following media reports about backdoor efforts by Pakistan along with Egypt and Turkiye to broker peace in West Asia.
“Pakistan welcomes and fully supports ongoing efforts to pursue dialogue to end the war in the Middle East, in the interest of peace and stability in the region and beyond,” Sharif said in a post on X.
“Subject to concurrence by the US and Iran, Pakistan stands ready and honoured to be the host to facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks for a comprehensive settlement of the ongoing conflict,” he added.
Earlier, the Foreign Office (FO) responding to media queries urged to avoid speculation and await official announcements about the venue for talks between the US and Iranian representatives.
“Pakistan, consistent with its longstanding policy, remains committed to the resolution of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and Persian Gulf through diplomatic means and engagements,” FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said.
“Diplomacy and negotiations often require that certain matters be advanced with discretion. The media is therefore encouraged to refrain from speculation and to await official announcements regarding decisions and outcomes,” he said.
Various international media outlets were reporting about Islamabad being the possible venue of talks as the war entered its fourth week.
Starting February 28, the US and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran, which killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The joint strikes came after days of build-up with US President Donald Trump ramping up the pressure on Tehran to agree to a new deal on its nuclear programme.
Iran’s retaliation escalated the war to the entire Gulf region. (PTI)
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