Pakistan’s constructive role in Middle East peace has been widely acknowledged by the international community, the Foreign Office said today, reiterating Islamabad’s commitment to promoting peace and stability in the region.
Speaking at the weekly media briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian visited Pakistan at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and held meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari and the premier.
He said the visit further strengthened Pakistan-Iran relations, with both countries reaffirming their commitment to expanding bilateral cooperation.
Andrabi said Pakistan, alongside Qatar, acted as a mediator during the Iran-US talks held in Bern, Switzerland. He added that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir represented Pakistan during the diplomatic process.
According to the spokesperson, negotiators discussed several important issues, while technical teams from Pakistan and Qatar remain in contact with both Iran and the United States to maintain momentum in the talks.
He said three technical working groups have been established for the next phase of negotiations. One group will focus on nuclear issues, another on sanctions and frozen assets, and the third on matters related to Lebanon.
Andrabi welcomed the appreciation expressed by several countries for Pakistan’s mediation efforts and praised the Pakistani media for its responsible and professional coverage of the diplomatic process.
He said Pakistan and Qatar would continue engaging with all stakeholders and reaffirmed that Islamabad would maintain its active and constructive role in promoting regional peace.
The spokesperson also noted that foreign ministers from Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye recently met to discuss the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and the Bern negotiations.
On a separate issue, Andrabi said Pakistani nationals had been taken hostage off the coast of Somalia. He added that Pakistan is in contact with Somali authorities to secure their safe release.