Describes meeting of regional foreign ministers as ‘very detailed, in-depth discussion’
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Sunday that foreign ministers from Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt have expressed full support for dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable path to an early and permanent resolution of the US-Israel-Iran conflict.
Addressing a media briefing on the quadrilateral FMs meeting, FM Dar described the gathering of regional foreign ministers as a “very detailed and in-depth discussion” on the current situation in the Middle East.
He said the foreign minister expressed concern over the devastating impact of the ongoing conflict on lives and livelihoods across the wider region. “We agreed that this war is not in favour of anyone and would only lead to death and destruction,” he said.
FM Dar also emphasised the importance of Muslim unity during these challenging times. “The unity of the Muslim Ummah in these circumstances is of utmost importance,” he added.
He briefed the visiting foreign ministers on the prospects of potential US-Iran talks in Islamabad. According to Dar, “the visiting foreign ministers expressed their fullest support to this initiative and reaffirmed unity to contain the situation, reduce the risk of military escalation, and create conditions for structured negotiations between relevant parties.”
FM Dar further said that the foreign ministers advocated dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable pathway to prevent conflicts and to promote regional peace and harmony.
“We call for upholding principles of the UN Charter, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all,” he added.
He said that the foreign ministers also discussed ways and means to further strengthen mutual cooperation among the brotherly countries.
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Dar said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan has maintained regular engagement with its regional and international partners.
“We have remained actively involved in all efforts and initiatives aimed at bringing this conflict to an end,” he said.
Calling Pakistan–US relations “very important,” he said that they had remained actively engaged with the US leadership as part of their efforts to de-escalate the situation and find a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
“In this context, Pakistan is very happy that both Iran and the US have expressed their confidence in Pakistan to facilitate their talks. Pakistan will be honoured to host and facilitate meaningful talks between the two sides in the coming days for a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the ongoing conflict,” he added.
Dar further added that he had also had a detailed telephonic conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, saying that China fully supports Pakistan’s initiative to host Iran–US talks.
He said that he also had a detailed telephonic conversation with the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, who has expressed full support for the peace initiative taken by Pakistan.
The foreign minister said that he had held several telephone conversations with counterparts from different countries around the world.
“They have all extended their full support and confidence in our efforts. Therefore, there is strong appreciation and support among all our friends for the efforts being made by Pakistan. We will continue our efforts with sincerity and commitment,” he said.
In his concluding remarks, the FM Dar said that Pakistan would require the prayers and support of the entire international community for the success of its endeavour to achieve peace and bring a permanent end to this war.
According to Reuters, during the talks, initial discussions focused on proposals to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, sources familiar with the matter said.
Foreign ministers from the three regional powers landed in Islamabad for the talks as Iran warned the US against launching a ground attack and global oil prices surged amid continued fighting between Iran, the US and Israel.
The countries meeting in Pakistan have floated proposals to Washington tied to maritime traffic and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, five sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, as part of wider efforts to stabilise shipping flows.
The Strait of Hormuz was previously a conduit for about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, but Iran has effectively halted shipping flows through it in response to the US and Israeli air strikes that began a month ago.
Proposals on reopening Hormuz
Pakistan, which, like Turkiye, borders Iran, has leveraged its close ties to both Tehran and Washington to emerge as a key diplomatic channel in the conflict, while Ankara and Cairo have also played a role.
A source from Pakistan said proposals, including from Egypt, had been forwarded to the White House by the countries before Sunday’s meeting and that they included Suez Canal-style fee structures.
Two other Pakistani sources said Turkiye, Egypt and Saudi Arabia could form a consortium to manage oil flows through the waterway, and had asked Pakistan to participate. The first Pakistani source said Islamabad had not been formally asked to join and maintains that it will not.
The proposal for a management consortium had been discussed with the US and Iran, the sources said.
A Turkish diplomatic source said Ankara’s priority was securing a ceasefire. “Ensuring the safe passage of ships could serve as an important confidence-building measure in this regard,” the person said, requesting anonymity.
