Pak urges US, Iran to end hostilities, resume talks

Pakistan on Thursday urged the US and Iran to end hostilities and resume negotiations, as renewed military strikes between the two sides threatened to derail their interim peace arrangement and further destabilise the region.

Addressing the weekly media briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi acknowledged the challenges facing the interim peace deal. The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed last month, had led to the launch of technical-level talks aimed at reaching a permanent peace agreement within 60 days. However, the process stalled after the US and Iran resumed attacks last week. Andrabi said, as hostilities have continued over the past week, “Pakistan reiterates its call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from any actions that would further undermine peace and stability”. “Pakistan will continue to encourage all sides to end violence and resume technical-level talks in accordance. We hope all parties will remain committed to the path of dialogue and diplomacy in resolving their outstanding issues,” he said.

Reiterating Islamabad’s position, Andrabi said that there was no alternative to sustained engagement, dialogue, and diplomacy in pursuit of lasting peace, stability, and progress.

The latest round of attacks came after the US expanded its military strikes on Iran, while Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks targeting Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait, raising fears of a wider regional conflict.

The renewed hostilities have cast uncertainty over the interim agreement reached last month to pave the way for a permanent settlement. Andrabi said all conflicts should be resolved through dialogue.