FO expects US-Iran deal sooner rather than later

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tahir Andrabi has said that Pakistan expects an agreement between the United States and Iran sooner rather than later. “We hope that the parties will reach a peaceful and sustainable solution that brings peace not only to our region but to the wider international community as well, ” the FO spokesperson said while addressing his weekly media briefing on Thursday. He said that Pakistan would welcome a settlement wherever it takes place, adding that if the talks were held in Islamabad, it would be an honour and privilege for the country to host it. “We continue to work with this sentiment, ” he added. READ MORE: Islamabad signals push to bridge US-Iran divide Mr. Andrabi said, ‘’On Iran and the United States, we can expect an agreement soon. We remain optimistic. ’’ The spokesperson, however, did not divulge the details of the US-Iran draft agreement. FO Spokesperson underscored that it does not augur well for us to discuss or divulge the details of the substance of the talks. I have stated it before, and I can reiterate that as an honest facilitator and mediator, it is incumbent on us to uphold the trust of respective positions. So, we will uphold that trust, and we will not breach it. We will jealously guard any information that we have, particularly with respect to the specifics. ’’ To a question about the success in Maraka-E-Haq Operation and the possible future scenario, the spokesperson noted that he is not the one to predict the future and give a prognosis on the security of South Asia and beyond. “However, I can tell you that Pakistan has always underscored the importance of diplomacy and dialogue in settling all our bilateral issues with respect to India. ’’ On no issue with India, Pakistan’s position is in contravention to any tenet of international law, the UN charter, or the UN Security Council resolutions. ‘’You take up any issue, whether it is the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, whether it is about the river waters, whether it is about broader issues of peace & security, arms control & disarmament, even with respect to individuals imprisoned in each other’s country – our stance is anchored in international law, ’’ Andrabi elaborated. ’’ There is such legal and political strength in the argument. When we approach our bilateral relations with India with such legal and political validity, he stated, we do not talk of war. We do not talk of clashes; we argue in favour of dialogue and diplomacy. ” However, the FO spokesperson emphasized thatif aggression, which took place exactly a year ago, is imposed on us, Pakistan will respond, and will respond with full strength and all means available. This fact is amply clear to our adversary in our neighbourhood as well. On the Indus Water Treaty, Andrabi said Pakistan reserves the right to explore all legal and political mechanisms enshrined in the treaty and under international law, to claim its right on the waters of the Indus Basin system. ‘’We will explore all options, and of course, they remain on the table. Some of these options are underway, you know, in the context of the proceedings by the Indus Water Commissioners. We are also monitoring how far the treaty is being implemented or violated, in favour of river flows, the patterns, the amount of water coming in, the variations (in flows), everything is being documented. ’’ On the agreements amongst the tribal and the people, living in Pakistan’s Bajaur and Chitral with Afghans, living in Afghanistan’s Kunarand Nuristan, the FO spokesperson said these developments are welcome. These developments demonstrate that people on both sides of the border want peace, he added. This sentiment is there in the Government of Pakistan as well. The only problem is that while aspirations of the people, particularly those living in Afghan provinces along the border with Pakistan, yearn for peace, some elements in the territory of Afghanistan are against peace. They are fomenting, engineering, and carrying out terrorist attacks in Pakistan. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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