FM offers to host negotiations between the United States and Tehran; Indicates Senate efforts are underway to help stranded nationals; Iran wants land in Saudi Arabia
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan on Tuesday stepped up diplomatic efforts to calm growing tensions in the Middle East, reminding Tehran of its long-standing defense agreement with Saudi Arabia, while simultaneously engaging in shuttle diplomacy aimed at preventing further escalation between the United States and Iran.
Addressing a press conference and later speaking in the Senate, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stressed that Islamabad seeks de-escalation through active diplomatic engagement, indirect contacts and regional outreach, even as the situation in the Gulf remains fluid.
In a significant revelation, Dar said he conveyed to the Iranian side that Pakistan maintained a defense pact with Saudi Arabia. “We have a defense pact with Saudi Arabia. I told the Iranian side about our defense pact, and they asked me to ensure that Saudi Arabia’s lands are not used,” he said.
“Then I had shuttle communication, thanks to which, as you can compare, the least number of attacks from Iran are on Saudi Arabia and Oman,” he added. His statement is seen as a calibrated attempt by Islamabad to balance its brotherly ties with Tehran while honoring its security commitments to Riyadh.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia share close strategic and defense cooperation, which includes training, security collaboration and institutional ties. Officials said the diplomatic message was aimed at preventing any spillover that could draw regional states into a wider confrontation.
Dar reiterated that Pakistan would continue its de-escalation efforts between Washington and Tehran. Speaking in the Senate, he revealed that he had been in touch with foreign ministers and senior officials from various countries over the past three days to persuade the two sides to resume dialogue.
“Through dialogue, a path of understanding can emerge,” he told lawmakers, adding that Pakistan was ready to facilitate talks if necessary. “We are ready for any help. If both sides want to talk in Islamabad, we are ready to do so. We are ready for all kinds of mediation at any time.”
Dar confirmed that after the first round of hostilities between the United States, Israel and Iran last year, Islamabad was considered a serious option for negotiations between Washington and Tehran and had been proposed as a potential joint capital. However, he noted that such considerations subsequently became “unfruitful” in an ever-changing geopolitical context.
Expressing concern over a sudden coordinated attack by the United States and Israel against Iran, Dar said this development occurred despite diplomatic engagement moving in a positive direction. He recalled that Pakistan immediately condemned the attack on Iran, calling it a neighboring and brotherly Muslim country.
“This conflict is not in anyone’s interest,” he said, adding that Pakistan recognizes Iran’s right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy. He noted that discussions between Washington and Tehran had shown encouraging signs.
Dar referred to the meetings held during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Austria, during which Pakistani officials interacted with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi, who had expressed optimism about dialogue. Dar also cited his late-night conversation with Oman’s foreign minister, who indicated that the latest round of negotiations between the United States and Iran had ended on a positive note.
Amid the escalating crisis, the government has taken comprehensive measures to help Pakistani nationals stranded in Iran and the Gulf countries due to the closure of airspace. “There are 35,000 Pakistanis in Iran,” Dar said, adding that around 33,000 of them currently reside there.
He informed the Senate that 792 Pakistanis, including 46 students, have so far been repatriated from Iran. Special facilitation offices have been established to assist returning nationals, while the crisis management unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs operates 24 hours a day.
Pakistan’s embassies in Iran, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have been fully activated to support citizens. In Iran, three facilitation centers have been established in Tehran, Zahedan and Mashhad to guide and assist Pakistanis.
Dar said airspace in several countries remains closed, with the exception of Oman and Saudi Arabia, while land routes – although long – are used for evacuations. Pakistani pilgrims in Iraq are also receiving assistance amid airspace restrictions. He thanked Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran and Azerbaijan for extending cooperation and assistance to the Pakistani diaspora.
