Kamal Ghorui
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said he had spoken with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian after Islamabad’s attempt to broker a second round of talks between the United States and Iran fell through.“Pakistan remains committed to serve as an honest and sincere facilitator—working tirelessly to advance durable peace and lasting stability in the region,” Sharif said in a post on X.His remarks came after Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, who was in Islamabad as part of a regional tour that also includes Muscat and Moscow, departed Pakistan. Shortly afterward, US President Donald Trump announced that his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, would no longer travel to the Pakistani capital for a potential second round of talks.The first round, also held in Islamabad on April 11 and 12, ended without a breakthrough. The US delegation was then led by Vice President JD Vance and also included Witkoff and Kushner.Meanwhile, during his visit, Araghchi, who had arrived in Pakistan on Friday, met Sharif, with foreign minister and deputy prime minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, also in attendance. He also held separate and individual meetings with Dar and Munir.Earlier in the day, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqaei said in a social media post that “no meeting” between Iran and the US was scheduled, adding that Tehran’s position would be conveyed to Pakistan.The ceasefire, initially set to expire on April 22, has already been extended “indefinitely” by Trump.Tensions in the region escalated after the US and Israel carried out strikes on Iran on February 28, prompting retaliatory action from Tehran, and triggering the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.(With agency inputs)
