- Prime Minister Shehbaz announced the continuation of a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran.
- Pakistani leaders worked tirelessly to make negotiations possible: PM.
- Expresses gratitude to the United States and Iran for accepting Pak’s invitation.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said Pakistan remains fully committed to efforts to resolve outstanding issues between the United States and Iran, praising political and military leaders for their role in hosting the historic talks in Islamabad.
Islamabad became a key mediator in the US-Iran war after Prime Minister Shehbaz brokered a two-week ceasefire between the two sides on April 8. Delegations from Washington and Tehran then arrived in Islamabad and held negotiations for more than 20 hours at his invitation last weekend. However, the negotiations could not lead to an agreement.
Addressing the federal cabinet, the Prime Minister said Pakistan played an important role in bringing the United States and Iran closer to the negotiating table after about 47 years, noting that the two delegations visited Pakistan at the request of Islamabad.
He said the talks marked the first time the two sides had engaged in direct, face-to-face dialogue at such a level, with discussions continuing for 21 hours.
Prime Minister Shehbaz added that Pakistani leaders were working tirelessly to make the negotiations possible.
The Prime Minister also expressed gratitude to the United States and Iran for accepting Pakistan’s invitation, saying both delegations appreciated the country’s hospitality and recognized its constructive role.
He said Pakistan’s efforts helped maintain the two-week ceasefire, while attempts were underway to resolve outstanding issues.
He said Pakistan was in a position to intervene as a mediator and contribute positively to regional stability at a time when the global economy was reeling from the conflict.
The Islamabad talks lasted about 21 hours and marked the first direct meeting between the United States and Iran in more than a decade, as well as the highest-level discussions since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The US delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance, included President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The Iranian delegation was led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and included Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
The negotiations were aimed at ending six weeks of fighting that has killed thousands in the Gulf, limited vital energy supplies and raised fears of a wider regional conflict.
The Middle East conflict began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched a joint bombing campaign against Iran.
The scope quickly expanded when Iran effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz and launched attacks on Israel and U.S. bases in the Middle East.
The war shook global financial markets and caused thousands of civilian deaths, mainly in Iran and Lebanon.
