Peace process shifts into action mode
The technical-level negotiations between Iran and the US are set to resume next week as the Pakistan-Qatar mediated peace process moves into its implementation phase following what Islamabad described as a positive breakthrough during the first round of high-level talks in Switzerland.
Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi on Wednesday said the technical level talks, which began in Burgenstock on June 22, were continuing and that the current pause should not be viewed as a breakdown in negotiations.
"I believe that the talks will resume next week, probably on Tuesday. This is a temporary gap and not a break," Andrabi told reporters during his weekly briefing.
The negotiations follow the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), brokered by Pakistan and Qatar, aimed at ending tensions between Tehran and Washington after months of conflict that had pushed the region to the brink of a wider war.
According to Andrabi, the mediation framework envisages the creation of three specialized working groups dealing with the nuclear issue, sanctions relief, and monitoring and dispute resolution mechanisms. These groups will report to a high-level committee tasked with overseeing the implementation of the peace process.
"The pathway towards sanctions relief and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz exists. This is a process that has now been initiated in Burgenstock," he said.
Pakistan has been directly involved in the talks and is expected to participate in the next round as well.
"Our delegation was there for the June 22 talks and will also be there when the negotiations resume next week. This in itself is a very positive development," Andrabi added.
The spokesperson said one of the immediate achievements of the process was the lifting of the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy shipping lane.
While acknowledging that full restoration of normal navigation would take time, Andrabi said both sides appeared committed to returning the situation to the pre-conflict status.
"There were forces and assets deployed by both sides during the blockade. Returning to the status quo ante will take time as an operational necessity, but not because of any lack of political will," he explained.
Pakistan has supported the restoration of normal maritime traffic and backed regional efforts led by Gulf countries to ensure long-term stability in the waterway.
"We support GCC initiatives and have taken note of discussions between Iran and Oman on this issue. We believe in regional ownership of the process, particularly by the littoral states of the Gulf," Andrabi said.
On sanctions, the Foreign Office indicated that future economic cooperation with Iran, including major connectivity and energy projects, would largely depend on the pace of international sanctions relief.
Commenting on Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's visit to Islamabad earlier this week, Andrabi described it as historic, noting that it was the Iranian leader's first foreign trip since the Iran-Israel war.
The Iranian president held meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir during the one-day visit.
Andrabi said discussions focused largely on follow-up and implementation of agreements reached during Pezeshkian's previous visit to Pakistan.
He acknowledged that progress on major economic initiatives, including trade and connectivity projects, would be closely linked to sanctions relief.
"As sanctions are lifted, opportunities will open up. Progress on economic projects and connectivity between Pakistan and Iran will hinge on the pace of sanctions relief," he said.
The spokesperson, however, said he was not aware whether the long-delayed Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project specifically came up during the talks.
The Foreign Office highlighted Iran's public acknowledgement of Pakistan's role in facilitating dialogue between Tehran and Washington, describing it as one of the most significant outcomes of President Pezeshkian's visit.
"The major outcome was that both sides reaffirmed their commitment to peace and stability. Pakistan's role as mediator and facilitator was reaffirmed by Iran," Andrabi said.
"We received once again the Iranian side's trust and confidence, for which we are grateful."
Iranian officials have repeatedly credited Pakistan for helping create conditions that enabled direct engagement with the United States after months of hostilities.
While discussing regional diplomacy, Andrabi also addressed Pakistan's strained relationship with Afghanistan, making it clear that security concerns remained the primary obstacle to a broader diplomatic reset.
He said Pakistan had extensively pursued diplomatic engagement with the Afghan Taliban administration between August 2021 and late 2025, including multiple high-level visits and initiatives aimed at improving trade, connectivity, education and people-to-people contacts.
According to Andrabi, Islamabad fulfilled most of its commitments under various bilateral understandings, particularly following Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar's visits to Kabul last year.
However, he said the deteriorating security situation eventually crossed "a threshold of Pakistan's patience."
"It was not possible for Pakistan to simply let diplomacy continue while our civilians and law enforcement personnel were being killed in terrorist attacks emanating from Afghan soil," he said.
The spokesperson reiterated Pakistan's position that any meaningful resumption of diplomacy would require concrete and verifiable assurances from Kabul that Afghan territory would not be used for attacks against Pakistan.
"If diplomacy is to restart, the starting point is a verifiable assurance that Afghan soil will not be used against Pakistan," Andrabi stressed.
He emphasized that Pakistan's actions were directed against security threats rather than the Afghan people.
"We have nothing against the Afghan people. They are our brothers and sisters. The issue is terrorism and the use of Afghan soil against Pakistan," he added.
Responding to reports of additional Afghan troop deployments along the border, Andrabi said Pakistan expected Afghanistan to respect the internationally recognized frontier regardless of the number of forces stationed there.
"Whether they deploy 8,000 additional troops or rely on existing strength is their decision. What matters is respect for the sanctity of our common international border," he said.