Pakistan remains 'hopeful', committed to dialogue amid US-Iran tensions: FO

Andrabi thanks journalists for their understanding and support during his tenure as spokesperson

Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi on Wednesday said Pakistan remained hopeful and committed to pursuing dialogue and diplomacy to help resolve the standoff between Iran and the United States.

Speaking at a weekly media briefing, Andrabi said, “Despite recent escalations, we remain hopeful and we will continue to strive for dialogue and diplomacy.”

He said Pakistan remained engaged alongside its brotherly countries in efforts to resolve the crisis, adding that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, where the two sides discussed the evolving regional situation.

“The prime minister reiterated Pakistan's sincere commitment to peace through restrained dialogue and diplomacy,” Andrabi said.

He added that Pakistan had underscored that the understanding reached under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding (MoU) offered “the most viable pathway towards lasting peace and stability in the region”.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also interacted with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Bishkek.

Andrabi said the situation in the Gulf and the Middle East had also been discussed in Istanbul during interactions between our leadership and their counterparts on the sidelines of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement meeting.

He said the visit of the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir to Iran last week formed part of Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to facilitate an end to the US-Iran conflict.

The discussions particularly focused on renewed efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, regional de-escalation, breaking the military stalemate and exploring a negotiated settlement to restore regional peace and stability, Andrabi said.

Read: CDF Munir to visit Tehran on Monday: Iranian foreign ministry

“The visit underscored Islamabad's sincere and constructive role in bridging differences between Washington and Tehran,” he said.

The spokesperson said the CDF visit to Tehran had generated momentum, as demonstrated by follow-up and subsequent visits by the leadership of Oman and Qatar.

On the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), Andrabi said the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague had on September 1 reaffirmed that the treaty remained fully in force and binding, rejecting India’s unilateral attempt to place it in abeyance.

He said the unanimous award constituted “an important reaffirmation of the sanctity of the IWT and the rule of international law”.

The court confirmed that India’s purported decision to place the treaty in abeyance did not relieve it of its obligations under the treaty and that the treaty’s dispute settlement mechanism remained operative, he said.

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Andrabi said the interim measure concerning the Ratna Hydroelectric Power project further affirmed that rights and obligations under the treaty could not be altered or displaced through unilateral action.

“Pakistan welcomes these clear and authoritative pronouncements,” he said, adding that they validated Islamabad’s consistent position that differences concerning the IWT must be addressed strictly within the framework of the treaty and in accordance with international law.

Turning to Pakistan’s chairmanship of the SCO, Andrabi said Pakistan had assumed the organisation’s chairmanship and would host the SCO Summit in Pakistan next year under the theme “Turning Vision into Action, Connectivity, Innovation and Shared Prosperity”.

Pakistan would work closely with SCO member states to advance the organisation’s objectives of promoting regional peace and stability, strengthening economic cooperation and connectivity, and fostering shared development and prosperity, he said.

Read more: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye to hold first defence pact meeting in Istanbul on Monday

Andrabi also briefed the media on the inaugural meeting of the Strategic, Political and Defence Committee established under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, held in Istanbul on August 31 between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

The three sides reaffirmed their resolve to work together for regional peace, stability and de-escalation, including through restraint and peaceful resolution of crises, he said.

They agreed to further institutionalise cooperation under the Makkah Agreement, strengthening solidarity, collective deterrence and defence, and cooperative security for “just, inclusive and lasting peace”.

A Secretariat headed by a secretary-general will be established in Saudi Arabia, initially led by a secretary-general from Pakistan for three years, Andrabi said.

The three countries will also deepen defence industry cooperation, joint technology development and production to enhance the capability and cohesion of their armed forces and contribute to regional peace and stability.

On the sidelines of the Istanbul meeting, DPM Dar met Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, with both sides welcoming the continued strengthening of Pakistan-Turkey ties across political, economic, security and cultural spheres.

They agreed to convene the next session of the high-level Strategic Cooperation Council as soon as possible, probably this year, and to forge close cooperation on regional and international issues to promote peace and stability.

Andrabi said Dar also met Turkey’s defence minister in Istanbul.

Before travelling to Istanbul, DPM Dar was in London, where he held high-level meetings with British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, Minister of State Stephen Doughty, National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell, International Maritime Organisation Secretary-General Arsenio de Villegas and Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey.

Also read: Arbitration court orders India to suspend work on hydro projects, uphold IWT with Pakistan

“We have been issuing press releases on these important meetings, and we thank you for covering these appropriately,” Andrabi said.

At the end of the briefing, Andrabi thanked journalists for their understanding and support during his tenure as spokesperson, saying he cherished the association and believed that “we have built long-lasting friendships through our interaction”.