Business Recorder
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar on Friday underscored the importance of sustained dialogue and engagement to address outstanding issues, in order to advance regional peace and stability at the earliest, the Foreign Office said. FM Dar said this in a telephonic conversation with Foreign Minister of Iran Abbas Araghchi as the former received a call from the latter. Both sides exchanged views on regional developments, the ceasefire, and ongoing diplomatic efforts being pursued by Islamabad in the context of US-Iran engagement. FM Araghchi appreciated Pakistan’s consistent and constructive facilitation role in this regard, and both leaders agreed to remain in close contact. READ MORE: US-Iran talks could be held in next three days: Trump The development takes place as Pakistan’s capital, for nearly a week, has been waiting for peace talks between the US and Iran to take place there, and although there is no sign the two sides will meet, large parts of the city remain sealed off by authorities. Key roads leading into Islamabad are shut down and a strict security cordon envelops the administrative centre, the so-called “Red Zone”. In the adjacent “Blue Area”, cafes have run out of fruit, markets are deserted, and with no service at bus terminals, weekend commuters are struggling to get home. Government officials say the measures are not ending any time soon and that they are ever ready for delegates, including US President Donald Trump, to show up at a moment’s notice. “We have been told that the talks could be held any day,” one official said. The current lockdown is the second in two weeks. Islamabad was first sealed off for talks between the US and Iranian delegations on April 11, which ended without a deal. The city briefly reopened, then locked down again as Pakistan waits to host a second round that has yet to materialise.
Go to News Site