In 45-minute phone call with Pezeshkian, PM Shehbaz reaffirms Pakistan’s commitment to advancing regional peace

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a telephone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday, reaffirming during the conversation that Pakistan would ‘‘remain fully committed to its honest and sincere efforts to advance regional peace and security."

The conversation, which was detailed in a statement by the PM’s Office, took place after US President Donald Trump confirmed that American representatives were headed to Islamabad for another round of talks with Iran.

The first round of historic direct US-Iran talks, held in Islamabad on April 11 and 12, had ended without an agreement, but also without a breakdown.

The talks were held as a Pakistan-brokered two-week ceasefire between Washington and Tehran remained in effect. The ceasefire, which is set to end on April 22, paused hostilities that began with the US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.

The PMO statement said that during Shehbaz and Pezeshkian’s ‘‘warm and cordial conversation that lasted for around 45 minutes, the two leaders engaged in detailed exchanges on the current regional situation."

The PM thanked Pezeshkian and the Iranian leadership for having sent their high-powered delegation, led by Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, for the first round of talks in Islamabad on 11-12 April, it said.

The statement further said that the premier informed the Iranian president about ‘‘his own recent engagements with a number of world leaders, including the leadership of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkiye."

He said that these interactions were most helpful in building consensus in support of a sustained process of dialogue and diplomacy, aimed at bringing lasting peace to the war-ravaged region, the PMO statement added.

It said the PM also thanked the Iranian leadership for their ‘‘constructive conversations’‘ with Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir during the latter’s visit to Tehran this week.

He reaffirmed that, ‘‘with the support of friends and partners, Pakistan would remain fully committed to its honest and sincere efforts to advance regional peace and security’‘, the statement read, adding that PM Shehbaz also conveyed his respectful regards for Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.

It said Pezeshkian thanked the prime minister and the Field Marshal for Pakistan’s strong commitment to the success of the peace efforts, while affirming that relations between Iran and Pakistan would continue to grow stronger in the days ahead.

Earlier in the day, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke with Iran’s FM Abbas Araghchi, the Foreign Office (FO) said.

It said that Dar ‘‘emphasised the need for continued dialogue and engagement as essential to resolving the current issues as soon as possible for promoting peace and stability in the region and beyond."

‘‘Both leaders agreed to remain in close contact and also concurred on a phone call’‘ between Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and PM Shehbaz Sharif later today, the FO said.

Source: News Desk 
--Agencies