Pakistan Urges US and Iran to Return to Islamabad Negotiations

Pakistan is urging the United States and Iran to return to negotiations under an agreement brokered by Islamabad, despite continued mistrust between the two sides.

Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said Islamabad remains in contact with both Washington and Tehran at senior levels.

He made the remarks in an interview published Thursday by The National, an English-language newspaper based in Abu Dhabi.

Pakistan Pushes for Return to Talks

Ahmad said the two sides still face a lack of trust and some reluctance to implement the Islamabad Memorandum.

However, Pakistan remains committed to the agreement and wants both sides to return to the negotiating table.

“We have open lines of communication with both parties, with both Iran and the US, and at high levels,” Ahmad said.

He said the memorandum provides a framework for a comprehensive agreement. According to the envoy, both countries now need to resume negotiations.

Islamabad Memorandum Sets Out Framework

Pakistan and Qatar brokered the Islamabad Memorandum in June.

The agreement called for an end to hostilities between the United States and Iran. It also provided a 60-day period for talks on a permanent settlement.

In addition, the memorandum included arrangements to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping.

Iran has accused Washington of failing to implement key parts of the agreement. Tehran has specifically raised concerns over sanctions and a US naval blockade.

The United States and Gulf countries, meanwhile, have called for unrestricted commercial navigation through the strategic waterway.

Pakistan Says Both Sides Must Compromise

Asked which side was blocking a return to negotiations, Ahmad said the issue was more complicated.

He rejected the idea that responsibility could easily be assigned to one side.

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“Pakistan is persisting,” he said, while expressing hope that both countries would overcome their differences.

Ahmad also pointed to Pakistan’s earlier mediation efforts as evidence that renewed talks remain possible.

He said Islamabad helped secure a ceasefire in April despite heavy fighting and escalating tensions. Pakistan later helped bring the two sides together for the memorandum.

“There is no reason that we cannot again bring them back to the table,” Ahmad said.

The envoy stressed that Pakistan considers renewed negotiations the only sustainable way to end the confrontation.

Envoy Raises Concerns Over Gaza

Ahmad also discussed the situation in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

He warned that Israeli policies in the West Bank could threaten prospects for establishing a Palestinian state.

The Pakistani envoy also said the Gaza ceasefire was not being fully implemented.

He pointed to continued violations and said hundreds of people had been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire was announced.

Ahmad called for stronger international pressure to protect the prospects for a political settlement and Palestinian statehood.

Ahmad Appointed Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary

The remarks came as Ahmad took on a new diplomatic role.

Pakistan appointed him as the country’s 34th Foreign Secretary on Thursday. He succeeded Amna Baloch.

His appointment places a senior diplomat with direct experience at the United Nations at the centre of Pakistan’s foreign policy efforts.

Meanwhile, Islamabad continues to advocate dialogue between Washington and Tehran. Pakistan says renewed negotiations could help reduce regional tensions and restore stability around critical shipping routes.