Pakistan on Saturday dismissed reports about potential Iran-United States talks in Islamabad missing a “breakthrough”, urging media platforms to exercise “due diligence”, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Islamabad has served as a go-between for messages passed between Iranian and US officials since the beginning of the US-Israeli war on Iran, which has disrupted global energy and cargo supplies and threatened regional economies.
Citing sources, a section of Pakistani media had reported that Pakistan’s diplomatic effort appeared to have narrowly missed a “breakthrough” twice after Tehran requested more time for consultations and ultimately decided against participating.
“We categorically reject these false insinuations attributed to purported official sources as baseless and a figment of imagination. Any attribution to official sources in this regard is incorrect,” the Foreign Office said in a statement released early Saturday.
“At a time of heightened regional sensitivity, diplomacy requires both discretion and responsibility. We therefore urge all media platforms to exercise due diligence, avoid speculation, and rely exclusively on officially issued statements and media readouts for accurate and timely information.”
On Friday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar in a phone call with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan also discussed the Pakistan‑China five‑point initiative aimed at de‑escalating the Middle East tensions sparked by the war on Iran.
“The two leaders exchanged views on the latest developments in the regional situation, emphasizing the urgent need for de-escalation and dialogue,” the Foreign Office said.
“The Pak-China Five-Point Initiative for peace in the Gulf and Middle East was also discussed,” it added.
The proposal, put forward by Beijing and Islamabad during Dar’s recent visit to China, calls for an immediate ceasefire, the initiation of peace talks, protection of civilian and commercial infrastructure, including shipping lanes and adherence to the United Nations charter.
Reporter Anwer Abbas