Pakistan’s commitment to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) remains unwavering as it continues to work towards bringing the United States and Iran back to the negotiating table. The Foreign Office (FO), led by Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, has emphasized that Pakistan is doing its “utmost” efforts to facilitate a peaceful resolution.
The recent security situation in the Middle East, marked by heightened tensions between Iran and the US, as well as ongoing hostilities along the Strait of Hormuz, poses significant challenges. However, Pakistan’s commitment to dialogue remains unwavering. The FO has reiterated that it welcomes all efforts aimed at sustaining cessation of hostilities and resumption of dialogue.
The negotiations between parties are ongoing, with a focus on normalizing the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and de-escalating tensions. Andrabi underscored that Pakistan is doing its “utmost” to bring the two parties back to the Islamabad MoU, which was signed last month after weeks of intensive diplomacy.
Pakistan’s efforts have been met with skepticism by some quarters, including a recent documentary aired by Deutsche Welle (DW) on YouTube, which has been criticized for its misleading portrayal of Pakistan’s nuclear program. The FO spokesperson rejected this documentary as “nothing but speculative commentary and biased sourcing.”
The US and Iran signed the Islamabad MoU in June 2023, aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the Middle East conflict. However, renewed hostilities erupted on July 7 when Iran attacked commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, including a Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker.
Since then, the conflict has intensified with the Houthi rebels in Yemen imposing a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, extending the war to a second major shipping chokepoint. On Wednesday, the war spread across new fronts as explosions hit a natural gas loading port in Egypt and a US-owned floating storage tanker was reportedly struck by a drone.
The FO spokesperson urged both parties to exercise “maximum restraint” and fully adhere to their commitment to resume technical-level talks in line with the Islamabad MoU and the Pakistan-Qatar joint statement on June 22. He emphasized that Pakistan remains engaged and will continue to do so, doing its utmost to bring the two parties back to the negotiating table.
The US has carried out retaliatory strikes against Iran for attacks on American bases in Jordan, while Saudi Arabia has responded with joint strikes on Iranian-backed paramilitary groups in Iraq. The conflict continues to escalate, with multiple waves of hostilities erupting across new fronts.
As tensions remain high, Pakistan’s commitment to the Islamabad MoU remains unwavering. The FO spokesperson reiterated that Pakistan will continue to work towards a peaceful resolution, despite the challenges posed by the current security situation.
Based on reporting from Dawn.
