Tahir Andrabi speaks at the weekly press briefing from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Photo file: X/FO
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan is holding talks with Afghanistan to end the worst conflict between the South Asian neighbors since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi confirmed at a weekly media briefing on Thursday.
The talks in the northwestern Chinese city of Urumqi were held between senior officials from the two countries, the spokesman said. He added that the aim is to stop terrorism originating from Afghanistan.
“Our demand is that the Afghan Taliban take concrete steps against terrorists. The Pakistani delegation is still in China for discussions. Pakistan has never shied away from talks. We are also engaged with China on Afghanistan,” the spokesman said.
Andrabi noted Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s recent visit to China from where he returned on Wednesday. The spokesman mentioned the 5-point peace plan that the two countries jointly released.
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Pakistan and China on Tuesday jointly proposed a five-point initiative aimed at restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and the wider Middle East. The plan calls for an immediate ceasefire, an urgent diplomatic engagement to prevent further escalation and the restoration of normal maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
The briefing also highlighted China’s support. “The Chinese side expressed deep appreciation and conveys that China and Pakistan are strategic cooperative partners,” the spokesman said.
Safety on shipping routes was also a central issue during Dars’ visit to China. In that regard, the FO spokesman noted that Iran’s government has allowed 20 more Pakistani-flagged ships to sail through the Strait of Hormuz, calling the move a “harbinger of peace.”
Andrabi also spoke at the meeting of the four foreign ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt in Islamabad last week to support Iran-US talks and discuss broader regional developments. “This was the second in the series; you may recall the first was held in Riyadh on March 19,” the spokesman noted.
The four FMs arrived in Pakistan over the weekend to attend a quadrilateral meeting of foreign ministers focused on de-escalating tensions between the US and Iran. The foreign ministers also agreed on the need to contain the situation, reduce the risk of further military escalation and create conditions conducive to structured negotiations.
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They stressed that dialogue and diplomacy remained the only viable way forward, while calling for adherence to the principles of the UN Charter, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
After the four-way talks on Sunday, Dar announced that Islamabad could host high-voltage talks between Iran and the US “in the coming days”. “I briefed the visiting foreign ministers on the prospects for potential talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad. The visiting foreign ministers expressed their full support for this initiative,” he said.
He added, “Pakistan will be honored to host and facilitate meaningful talks between the two sides for a comprehensive and lasting solution,” adding that both Tehran and Washington had expressed confidence in Islamabad’s role as a neutral facilitator.
The three visiting foreign ministers also called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and media readouts of the interactions were issued. “The four foreign ministers of MOFA reviewed the Gulf situation. Efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region were discussed and the interactions provided an opportunity to address key regional challenges,” the briefing said.
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On the telephone diplomacy front, FM Dar has held several calls this week: On March 27, calls with the FMs of Egypt, Qatar and Indonesia, on March 29, a call with Iran’s FM to discuss the evolving regional situation, where dialogue and diplomacy were highlighted as the only viable path.
The spokesman also confirmed Pakistan’s position on the Israel-Palestine issue: “You must have seen the eight foreign ministers, including Pakistan, condemning Israel’s actions in Jerusalem,” the spokesman said.
A joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Qatar said the countries “strongly condemn and reject the continued restrictions imposed by Israel on the religious freedom of Muslims and Christians in occupied Jerusalem,” read the statement shared on X.
He further addressed misinformation being circulated from India about Pakistan’s diplomacy in the Iran-US conflict. “Fake news about Pakistan’s role has been published. The statement attributed to the Iranian Foreign Ministry was also misrepresented and a clarification was later issued by Iran’s Foreign Ministry. Be careful of these fake news stories and liars,” the spokesperson warned.
WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM REUTERS.
