ISLAMABAD — Pakistan will host a meeting Friday between U.S. and Iranian delegations following the ceasefire in the Middle East, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Wednesday, April 8.
“I extend my deep gratitude to the leadership of both nations and invite their delegations to Islamabad on Friday for talks aimed at a final agreement to resolve all disputes,” Sharif said in a post on X.
Pakistan has emerged in recent weeks as a channel for messages between Tehran and Washington. As Iran’s neighbor, Pakistan is also sensitive to the situation. At the same time, Islamabad has built close ties with President Donald Trump.
“We sincerely hope the ‘Islamabad talks’ will succeed in establishing sustainable peace and that we can deliver more good news in the days ahead,” Sharif said.
The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire just hours before Trump’s deadline for Iran’s destruction expired. The war began on Feb. 28 after strikes by Israel and the United States killed Iran’s supreme leader. Tehran retaliated against Gulf states and Israel. After Iran-backed group Hezbollah attacked Israel, Lebanon was drawn into the conflict. Israel responded with attacks on the Lebanese capital and other locations and launched a ground operation in southern Lebanon.
Sharif said the ceasefire applies “in all locations,” including Lebanon. But Israel later said Lebanon was not honoring the ceasefire and that it would continue air and ground operations against Hezbollah there.
The temporary ceasefire came after last-minute diplomatic efforts by Pakistan and other mediators. They worked to prevent Trump from carrying out his threat to destroy all of Iran’s power stations and bridges. Legal experts said such steps could constitute war crimes. Turkey and Egypt have also helped mediate in recent days. Trump told AFP on Wednesday that China played a role in bringing Iran to the negotiating table.
Two years after Pakistan exchanged missile strikes with Iran, and despite at-times strained relations with Washington, Islamabad now maintains warm ties with both sides. Pakistan’s role in maintaining regional balance has grown, particularly given its close ties with influential players such as Saudi Arabia and Beijing. Pakistan is home to the world’s second-largest Shiite Muslim population after Iran. It shares a 900-kilometer border with Iran. With Washington lacking a Tehran embassy, Islamabad also looks after some of Iran’s diplomatic interests there.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report