Business Recorder
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday held separate meetings with the US and Iranian delegations, expressing hope that the ‘Islamabad Talks’ would pave the way for lasting peace in the Middle East. The meetings take place as the Islamabad Talks commence in Islamabad amid strict security, as senior US and Iranian leaders have arrived in Islamabad for negotiations to end their six-week-old war, although Tehran wanted assurance for commitments on Lebanon and sanctions as well. These will be the highest-level US-Iran talks since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and the first official face-to-face negotiations between the two sides since 2015, when the two sides reached a deal on Iran’s nuclear programme. In a meeting with the United States delegation led by Vice President JD Vance, PM Shehbaz Sharif expressed the hope that Islamabad Talks would serve as a stepping stone toward durable peace in the region. The US vice president was assisted by President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner. PM Shehbaz was assisted by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi. During the meeting with Vance, the prime minister commended the commitment of both delegations to engage constructively. “Pakistan looks forward to continue its facilitation of both sides in making progress towards sustainable peace in the region,” the premier reiterated. Separately, the Iranian side led by Speaker of Iranian Consultative Assembly Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and assisted by Foreign Minister of Iran Abbas Araghchi also met PM Shehbaz. Appreciating Iran’s engagement in the Islamabad Talks, the prime minister affirmed Pakistan’s sincere resolve to continue playing its role as a mediator to help build momentum towards achieving meaningful results in the interest of regional and global peace and stability. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshall Syed Asim Munir and Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi attended the meeting from Pakistani side.
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