Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday expressed hope that Pakistan’s mediation efforts in talks between the United States and Iran to end the Middle East conflict would reach an advanced stage and eventually con-clude, terming it essential for global peace and the world economy.
Briefing mem-bers of the diplomatic corps in Islamabad, he talked about Pakistan’s facilitative and mediating role in supporting ceasefire efforts and promoting peace in the Gulf region and the broader Middle East. He said Pakistan’s objective was to continue engaging both sides as an honest facilitator and mediator to negotiate and reach a peaceful settlement.
The remarks that Dar made during his comprehensive briefing to foreign en-voys make it clear that the first round of direct talks between the United States and Iran did not end in a deadlock as is widely believed. According to him, things pro-ceeded and progressed very positively during Islamabad talks, but the parties needed to go back to their capitals and the leadership for consultation. It is encour-aging to hear from him that the engagement between the two sides has reached a very advanced level, which augurs well for a positive outcome. As the Deputy Prime Minister is deeply involved in the diplomatic efforts aimed at promoting de-escalation and moving towards durable peace in the region, his remarks and assessment of the situation matters a lot. There are reasons to believe him as both the United States and Iran value the role being played by Pakistan to bring the conflict to an end. The confidence that Pakistan enjoys of the warring parties is enabling the country to make effective contribution for the cause of peace and resolution of the complex is-sues involved. It is noteworthy that after releasing 22 crew members who were being held on a seized Iranian container ship (the Tusca) and transferring them to Pakistani authorities in a “confidence-building measure”, the United States has responded positively to the suggestion of Pakistani mediators to halt ‘Project Freedom’.
President Trump has acknowledged that at the request of Pakistan and other countries, the United States has paused the latest adventure to give the peace process a chance to move ahead. The suspension of the provocative project is significant as it threatened the ceasefire and raised the spectre of wider regional conflict as was evi-dent from the extreme response of Tehran, which carried out drone and missile strikes in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Intriguingly, Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya joint military command said it has not carried out attacks against the United Arab Emi rates in recent days. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also con-firmed that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are “working hard on a diplomatic path,” as efforts continue to secure a deal and prevent further escalation in the region. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is one of the central figures in the engagement process, has said ongoing dialogue with the United States was showing progress through Pakistan’s mediation, while cautioning against further escalation as tensions persist around the Strait of Hormuz. Earlier, during telephonic conversation with Mr. Dar, Araghchi appreciated Pakistan’s constructive role and mediation efforts. Apart from the two warring countries, Pakistan’s relentless diplomatic push to help promote peace is also attracting world-wide praise. Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday, called for de-escalation, restraint and support for Pakistani mediation and diplomatic efforts to reach a political solution that prevents the region from slid-ing into further tension and instability, which would not serve the interests of the region and the world. The latest moves indicate that Pakistani mediation efforts were bearing fruit and progress has been achieved in bridging gaps between the two sides. No doubt, scathing verbal attacks are mainly directed at the internal audience by the two countries but a pause in verbal duel can help improve the atmosphere for diplomatic solution.
