PM says ‘full efforts’ ongoing to resolve US-Iran conflict
‘Islamabad peace talks were a historic event’
ISLAMABAD: Following talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad over the weekend, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said that “full efforts” were ongoing to resolve the conflict.
“Today, the ceasefire still stands. As I am talking to you, matters that are not resolved, full efforts are underway to resolve them,” he said in a televised address to the federal cabinet.
In his first remarks on the matter after the negotiations concluded, the premier hailed talks between the two countries in Islamabad as a “historic moment”.
He said the Islamabad Talks gave Pakistan a chance to “turn looming clouds of war into lasting peace”.
PM Shehbaz added that “if you look through history — take the Oslo Agreement, the Geneva Accord, the Good Friday Agreement … it took months and sometimes years to end hostilities and establish peace”.
Coming to the Islamabad Talks, he said that the Iranian and American delegations had negotiated “continuously for 21 hours”.
The dialogue, he said, was not held indirectly. “It was the first time that the two delegations sat face-to-face. I am a witness to it.”
He said Pakistan’s leadership had worked hard day and night to bring the two sides to the table. “And it is a result of Pakistan’s sincere efforts that the ceasefire still holds,” he said, adding that full efforts were being made to resolve unresolved matters.
“That is why I believe that the Islamabad peace talks were a historic event,” he said, further mentioning that he had received a call from his Japanese counterpart on Monday. “She congratulated me on Pakistan playing an important role” in efforts for de-escalation between the US and Iran, the PM said.
Moreover, he said he had also received phone calls from European leaders, who commended Pakistan’s efforts.
PM Shehbaz particularly lauded Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, as well as their teams, for their contributions to de-escalation.
According to a statement issued by the PM’s Office (PMO), the federal cabinet adopted a resolution, which stated: “The federal cabinet is thankful to God for giving Pakistan the opportunity to play a central role for peace in the region and the world.”
“Undoubtedly, this role of Pakistan will always be remembered in the history of the world. We pray that these efforts of the Pakistani leadership turn out to be successful and lead to peace in the world,” the statement quoted the resolution as stating. Staff Report
