- Prime Minister Shehbaz briefs Zardari on the progress of the peace negotiations.
- Zardari calls for continued engagement with world powers.
- The Prime Minister, the DPM and the CDF praised their diplomatic coordination efforts.
During a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari hailed Pakistan’s tireless efforts to make the diplomatic initiative to host peace talks between Iran and the United States a great success.
Islamabad became a key mediator in the US-Iran conflict after Prime Minister Shehbaz helped secure a two-week ceasefire on April 8. After the temporary truce, delegations from Washington and Tehran arrived in Islamabad at his invitation and held more than 20 hours of negotiations over the weekend.
However, despite prolonged talks and intensive diplomatic engagement, the discussions concluded without reaching a final agreement.
The conflict, which began on February 28 following coordinated US-Israeli strikes targeting Iranian leaders and infrastructure, has left more than 2,000 people dead and widespread regional instability. Tehran responded with retaliatory operations, including disrupting shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and attacking Israeli and US targets in the region.
The international community has widely praised Pakistan’s diplomatic role, supporting its efforts to ease tensions in the Middle East and facilitate negotiations aimed at achieving lasting peace.
During their meeting today at Aiwan-e-Sadr, President Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz reviewed the current security and diplomatic situation in the region, noting its far-reaching implications for global security, economic stability and geopolitical dynamics.
The Prime Minister briefed the President in detail on the stages of the US-Iran dialogue, the progress made through Pakistan’s mediation and his upcoming visits to Saudi Arabia and Turkey aimed at advancing peace efforts.
President Zardari congratulated Prime Minister Shehbaz, Senator Ishaq Dar, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Chief of Defense Force (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, and all state institutions for their sustained diplomatic efforts in facilitating peace negotiations, terming the initiative a notable success in promoting regional stability.
He noted that the smooth coordination among all stakeholders helped facilitate this high-level engagement.
The President highlighted the historic role played by Pakistan in promoting global peace and regional stability.
He noted that by providing a platform for such critical dialogue, Pakistan has reaffirmed its position as a responsible and central state in the international community and once again proved to the world its capacity to establish peace.
President Zardari said Prime Minister Shehbaz and DPM Dar should remain proactively engaged with Washington and Tehran, as well as major regional and global powers, to ensure the sustainability of the peace process and regional harmony.
The meeting was attended by DPM Dar and Advisor to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs, Senator Rana Sanaullah, while the President was assisted by former Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Parliamentary Leader of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in the Senate Sherry Rehman and former Senate Chairman Nayyar Bukhari.
