FM offers to host US-Tehran talks; recounts Senate efforts underway to help stranded citizens; Says Iran wants KSA land
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan on Tuesday stepped up diplomatic efforts to defuse rising tensions in the Middle East, reminding Tehran of its long-standing defense understanding with Saudi Arabia, while engaging in shuttle diplomacy aimed at preventing further escalation between the United States and Iran.
Addressing a press conference and later addressing the Senate, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar emphasized that Islamabad was seeking de-escalation through active diplomatic engagement, backchannel contacts and regional outreach, even as the situation in the Gulf remains fluid.
In a significant revelation, Dar said he had conveyed to the Iranian side that Pakistan maintains a defense pact with Saudi Arabia. “We have a defense pact with Saudi Arabia. I told the Iranian side about our defense pact, for which he asked me to ensure that KSA’s land was not used,” he said.
“Then I had shuttle communications, as a result of which, as you can compare, the smallest attacks from Iran are to Saudi Arabia and Oman,” he added. His statement is seen as a calibrated attempt by Islamabad to balance its fraternal ties with Tehran while meeting its security obligations to Riyadh.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia share close strategic and defense cooperation, which includes training, security cooperation and institutional links. 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 efforts to de-escalate between Washington and Tehran. Speaking in the Senate, he revealed that he had been in contact with foreign ministers and senior officials from various countries over the past three days to persuade both sides to return to dialogue.
“Through dialogue, a path to understanding can emerge,” he told the lawmakers, adding that Pakistan is ready to facilitate talks if required. “We are ready for all assistance. If both parties want to talk in Islamabad, we are ready for that. We are ready at any time for all kinds of mediation.”
Dar confirmed that after the first round of hostilities between the US and Israel and Iran last year, Islamabad was considered a serious option for negotiations between Washington and Tehran and had been suggested as a potential joint capital. However, he noted that such considerations later became “barren” amid changing geopolitical circumstances.
Dar, who expressed concern over a sudden coordinated attack by the US and Israel on Iran, said the development came despite diplomatic engagement moving in a positive direction. He recalled that Pakistan had immediately condemned the attack on Iran, terming it as a neighboring and brotherly Muslim country.
“This conflict is not in anyone’s interest,” he said, adding that Pakistan recognizes Iran’s right to peaceful use of nuclear energy. He noted that discussions between Washington and Tehran had previously shown encouraging signs.
Dar referred to meetings held during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Austria, where 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 conveyed that the latest round of talks between the US and Iran had ended on a positive note.
Amidst the escalating crisis, the government has taken extensive measures to help Pakistani nationals stranded in Iran and Gulf countries due to airspace closures. “There are 35,000 Pakistanis in Iran,” Dar said, adding that around 33,000 currently live there.
He informed the Senate that 792 Pakistanis including 46 students have been repatriated from Iran so far. Special facilitation desks have been established to assist the returning citizens, while the Crisis Management Unit in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in operation around the clock.
Pakistan’s embassies in Iran, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have been fully activated to support the citizens. In Iran, three facilitation centers have been established in Tehran, Zahedan and Mashhad to guide and assist the Pakistanis.
Dar said airspace in several countries remains closed, except in Oman and Saudi Arabia, while land routes – though time-consuming – are being used for evacuation. Pakistani pilgrims in Iraq are also being helped under airspace restrictions there. He thanked Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran and Azerbaijan for extending cooperation and assistance to the Pakistani diaspora.
