Pakistan stands ‘ready, honoured’ to host US-Iran talks, says PM Shehbaz

2026-03-24 - 13:50

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that Pakistan stood “ready and honoured” to host “meaningful and conclusive talks” between the US and Iran. “Pakistan welcomes and fully supports ongoing efforts to pursue dialogue to end the war in the Middle East, in the interest of peace and stability in the region and beyond,” he said in a post on the social media platform X. “Subject to concurrence by the US and Iran, Pakistan stands ready and honoured to be the host to facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks for a comprehensive settlement of the ongoing conflict,” he said. PM Shehbaz’s statement came shortly after the Foreign Office (FO) urged the media to refrain from speculation and await official announcements when asked about reports of Islamabad being a possible venue for talks between the US and Iranian representatives amid the ongoing Middle East conflict. “Pakistan, consistent with its longstanding policy, remains committed to the resolution of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East/Persian Gulf through diplomatic means and engagements,” FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said in response to queries about the reports. “Diplomacy and negotiations often require that certain matters be advanced with discretion. The media is therefore encouraged to refrain from speculation and to await official announcements regarding decisions and outcomes,” he said. A day earlier, Andrabi said in response to a query by Dawn, “If the parties desire, Islamabad is always willing to host talks.” He recalled that Pakistan had consistently advocated for dialogue and diplomacy to promote peace and stability in the region. The developments come as several international media outlets, including Reuters and Axios, suggested that Islamabad could serve as a venue for potential direct talks between US and Iranian representatives in the coming days. The ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has entered its fourth week, began with the US and Israel launching attacks on Iran on February 28. That day, the strikes also resulted in the assassination of then-supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. On Monday, Pakistan took centre stage in a coordinated diplomatic push alongside Turkiye and Egypt for de-escalation, as the trio appeared instrumental in securing a five-day pause of US plans to strike Iranian energy and power infrastructure, officials said, describing the effort as going beyond routine crisis management. US President Donald Trump publicly announced the pause on strikes on Monday, claiming Washington had held “very good and productive conversations” with Tehran over the previous couple of days that could lead to a “complete and total resolution” of hostilities. The pause, however, remains conditional and limited to strikes on Iranian power plants and major energy assets, with fighting continuing across multiple fronts. Reporting by the Financial Times and Axios suggested that senior officials from the three countries separately engaged with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, relaying positions between the two sides. The exchanges were indirect, with no direct contact reported between Washington and Tehran. The scope of the backchannel discussions went beyond an immediate pause. Officials said the exchanges focused on de-escalation, reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the parameters of a broader end to the war. On Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei, while confirming that messages had been conveyed in recent days through several “friendly countries”, said the Iranian response was centred on its “principled positions”. Iran also denied any direct or indirect negotiation with the Trump administration or US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, framing the US announcement as an attempt to influence markets.