FM offers to host US-Tehran talks; Tells Senate efforts afoot to aid stranded nationals; Says Iran wants KSA land
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan on Tuesday stepped up diplomatic efforts to calm rising tensions in the Middle East, reminding Tehran of its longstanding defence understanding with Saudi Arabia, while simultaneously engaging in shuttle diplomacy aimed at preventing further escalation between the United States and Iran.
Addressing a press conference and later speaking in the Senate, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar underscored that Islamabad was seeking de-escalation through active diplomatic engagement, backchannel contacts and regional outreach, even as situation in Gulf remains fluid.
In a significant disclosure, Dar said he had conveyed to the Iranian side that Pakistan maintains a defence pact with Saudi Arabia. “We have a defence pact with Saudi Arabia. I conveyed to the Iranian side about our defence pact, to which he asked me to ensure that KSA’s land was not used,” he said.
“Then I had shuttle communication, as a result of which, as you can compare, the least attacks from Iran are to Saudi Arabia and Oman,” he added. His statement is being seen as a calibrated attempt by Islamabad to balance its fraternal ties with Tehran while honouring its security commitments to Riyadh.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia share close strategic and defence cooperation, which includes training, security collaboration and institutional linkages. Officials said the diplomatic messaging was aimed at preventing any spillover that could drag regional states into a broader confrontation.
Dar reiterated that Pakistan would continue efforts for de-escalation between Washington and Tehran. Speaking in the Senate, he revealed that he had been in contact with foreign ministers and senior officials from various countries over the past three days to persuade both sides to return to dialogue.
“Through dialogue, a path of understanding can emerge,” he told lawmakers, adding that Pakistan stands ready to facilitate talks if required. “We are ready for all assistance. If both parties want to talk in Islamabad, we are ready for that. We are at any time ready for all sorts of mediation.”
Dar confirmed that following the first round of US-Israel and Iran hostilities last year, Islamabad was viewed as a serious option for talks between Washington and Tehran and had been proposed as a common potential capital. However, he remarked that such considerations later became “infructuous” amid evolving geopolitical circumstances.
Expressing concern over a sudden coordinated attack by the US and Israel on Iran, Dar said the development came despite diplomatic engagement moving in a positive direction. He recalled that Pakistan had immediately condemned the attack on Iran, terming it a neighbouring and brotherly Muslim country.
“This conflict is not in anyone’s interest,” he said, adding that Pakistan recognises Iran’s right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy. He noted that discussions between Washington and Tehran had previously shown encouraging signs.
Dar referred to meetings held during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Austria, where Pakistani officials interacted with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi, who had expressed optimism about dialogue. Dar also cited his late-night conversation with Oman’s foreign minister, who conveyed that the most recent round of US-Iran talks had ended on a positive note.
Amid escalating crisis, the government has taken comprehensive measures to assist Pakistani nationals stranded in Iran and Gulf countries due to airspace closures. “There are 35,000 Pakistanis in Iran,” Dar said, adding that approximately 33,000 are currently residing there.
He informed the Senate that 792 Pakistanis, including 46 students, have so far been repatriated from Iran. Special facilitation desks have been established to assist the returning nationals, while the Crisis Management Unit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is operating round-the-clock.
Pakistan’s embassies in Iran, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have been fully activated to support citizens. In Iran, three facilitation centres have been set up in Tehran, Zahedan and Mashhad to guide and assist the Pakistanis.
Dar said airspaces in several countries remain closed, except for Oman and Saudi Arabia, while land routes — though time-consuming — are being used for evacuations. Pakistani pilgrims in Iraq are also being assisted amid airspace restrictions there. He thanked Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran and Azerbaijan for extending cooperation and assistance to the Pakistani diaspora.
