- End of Middle East War Need for Region, Wider World: Dar.
- DPM Dar hopes Islamabad Talks will conclude “soon”.
- Dar says the goal is a “dignified” end to the conflict in the Middle East.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday expressed hope that Pakistan’s efforts to mediate an end to the US-Iran conflict will succeed at the earliest, calling it a necessity for the region and the wider world.
“Whatever has happened so far, it has already greatly dented a global GDP,” he told foreign ambassadors and diplomatic corps in Islamabad, saying ending the conflict in the Middle East was Pakistan’s “aim and aim” as a facilitator and mediator.
DPM Dar said Islamabad was actively working to engage the US and Iran to negotiate a peaceful solution to their disputes, adding that the country has consistently supported stability and restraint in the Middle East.
Noting Islamabad’s global diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict, DPM Dar said he has discussed the matter with around 120 counterparts worldwide since the start of the war.
The interactions, he said, reflected Pakistan’s seriousness in its efforts to get the US and Iran to reach a ceasefire and end the conflict.
Pakistan emerged as a key mediator between Washington and Tehran after hostilities began on February 28, following US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
After six weeks of war, Pakistan brokered a two-week ceasefire on April 8 and later hosted direct talks between the two sides in its federal capital.
In his speech, DPM Dar said the Islamabad talks held between April 10 and 11 reached an “advanced level”.
“We still hope that it [Islamabad Talks] will eventually and hopefully very soon end,” he added.
On Islamabad’s peace efforts, DPM Dar said Pakistan has continuously engaged Iran and the US to negotiate a lasting ceasefire since the ceasefire was brokered.
He added that for the first time in 47 years, Islamabad managed to bring the US and Iran to the table for direct negotiations.
DPM Dar said the country’s mediation efforts had been recognized internationally and Pakistan remained in constant touch with global stakeholders as part of its responsibility to promote peace.
The entire consultation process was aimed at ending the conflict in the Middle East, DPM Dar said, adding that Pakistan continued to act as a bridge between the two sides.
“[The] goal is common … that this conflict ends in a dignified manner. It should be a win-win,” he said.
However, DPM Dar emphasized that Islamabad could not elaborate on its efforts as a mediator and facilitator due to the sensitive nature of the matter.
His remarks come hours after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said talks with the United States were making progress with Pakistan’s “gracious efforts” and reiterated there was no military solution to the crisis.
The Iranian foreign minister’s statement followed renewed attacks by Washington and Tehran in the Gulf on Monday as they battled for control of the Strait of Hormuz with dueling maritime blockades.
US President Donald Trump launched a new effort to get stranded tankers and other ships through the strait, prompting a promised show of force from Iran, which has threatened to respond to any escalation with new attacks on its neighbors that host US bases.
