Islamabad, September 2, 2026: Pakistan has vowed to continue its diplomatic efforts to promote peace between the United States and Iran despite renewed hostilities between the two countries, saying Islamabad remains hopeful that both sides will eventually return to the negotiating table.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said on Wednesday that Pakistan remained committed to dialogue and diplomacy and would continue working towards de-escalation and a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
“Despite recent escalations, we remain hopeful, and we will continue to strive for dialogue and diplomacy,” Andrabi said at his weekly press briefing.
The renewed fighting has ended a period of relative calm since July, during which Washington and Tehran largely refrained from military action but made little progress towards restarting negotiations.
Andrabi said both sides had carried out armed attacks and retaliatory strikes and Pakistan was closely monitoring the situation. He noted that conflicts generally passed through phases of escalation, de-escalation, calm and ceasefire before eventually returning to negotiations.
Describing the latest escalation as “concerning and undesirable”, the spokesperson rejected any suggestion that it represented a failure of Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts.
He said Islamabad had engaged in the peace process with complete sincerity and would continue its efforts to facilitate dialogue between the two sides.
Andrabi said the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), agreed between Tehran and Washington on June 18, remained available as a framework for resuming negotiations.
The 14-point interim framework was designed to provide a pathway towards ending the conflict and restarting political and technical-level negotiations aimed at achieving a long-term and sustainable settlement.
“There is no question of declaring it dead or ineffective,” the spokesperson said, stressing that the framework remained in place should both sides demonstrate willingness to resume talks.
He said it was not unusual for Washington and Tehran to exchange strong statements during periods of heightened tensions, adding that Pakistan remained hopeful that negotiations could resume once the current escalation subsided.
Andrabi also highlighted Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir’s visit to Tehran last week as an important component of Islamabad’s diplomatic efforts.
He said the visit focused on reducing regional tensions and resolving the conflict through negotiations while creating fresh momentum in the diplomatic process. Subsequent visits by the leadership of Oman and Qatar to the region also demonstrated continued diplomatic activity, he added.
On the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), the Foreign Office welcomed the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s latest ruling reaffirming that the treaty remains in force and legally binding.
Andrabi said the unanimous award represented an important reaffirmation of the sanctity of the treaty and the principle of international law.
The Hague-based court ruled that India’s unilateral decision to place the treaty in “abeyance” did not relieve it of its obligations under the agreement and that the treaty’s dispute-settlement mechanisms remained operative.
The court also maintained that a neutral expert appointed by the World Bank would determine by July 2027 whether the construction of hydroelectric projects in the Himalayan region complied with the treaty.
India had placed the treaty in abeyance after the April 2025 Pahalgam attack, in which 26 people were killed, accusing Pakistan of involvement. Islamabad rejected the allegation. The development was followed by intense military hostilities between the two countries in May 2025 before a US-brokered ceasefire.
Andrabi said the court’s pronouncements validated Pakistan’s longstanding position that disputes concerning the IWT must be addressed strictly within the treaty framework and in accordance with international law.
He said an interim measure concerning the Ratle Hydroelectric Power Project further reinforced the principle that rights and obligations under the treaty could not be altered or displaced through unilateral action.
“Pakistan welcomes these clear and authoritative pronouncements,” he said.
On the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, Andrabi said the agreement’s Strategic Political and Defence Committee held its inaugural meeting in Istanbul on August 31.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye agreed to institutionalise cooperation under the agreement, strengthen collective defence and enhance joint security, he said.
The three countries also reaffirmed their commitment to regional peace and stability through efforts to resolve crises and reduce tensions.
Andrabi said a permanent secretariat would be established in Saudi Arabia, while the secretary-general would initially be appointed from Pakistan for a three-year term.
The three countries would also expand cooperation in defence industries, joint technology development and enhancement of the capabilities of their armed forces.
Regarding Pakistan’s assumption of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) chairmanship, the spokesperson said Islamabad’s theme was to turn vision into action through connectivity, innovation and shared prosperity.
Pakistan would work with SCO member states to promote regional peace and stability, economic cooperation and connectivity, Andrabi said.
He added that Pakistan would hold the SCO chairmanship for one year and host the organisation’s summit next year.
Turning to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Kyrgyzstan, Andrabi said the premier was in Bishkek and had held talks with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Nurgozhoevich Japarov.
Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan signed a number of agreements and memoranda of understanding covering trade, economic cooperation, investment and other areas, he said.
The two leaders also addressed a joint press conference on bilateral relations.
Prior to the bilateral talks, Prime Minister Shehbaz attended the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting and the SCO Plus summit and held meetings with counterparts and other world leaders.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also held meetings with the SCO secretary-general and the United Nations secretary-general, Andrabi said.
On Kashmiri leader Yasin Malik, the spokesperson said Pakistan completely rejected the case and sentence against him, describing the proceedings as contrary to fundamental requirements of justice.
Andrabi said Pakistan considered the trial and sentence politically motivated and would continue raising Malik’s case at international and multilateral forums.
He urged the international community to take notice of the matter and said Pakistan prayed for Malik’s health and long life.
The spokesperson also paid tribute to veteran Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Geelani, saying he remained in Pakistan’s prayers.
Regarding the Afghan ambassador’s interaction at the National Defence University (NDU), Andrabi said the engagement was purely academic and should not be given undue significance in the context of Pakistan-Afghanistan relations.
He said visits by Afghan ambassadors to educational institutions were routine.
The spokesperson also said China’s special representative for Afghanistan remained in Pakistan from August 31 to September 1 and held discussions with Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq.
Pakistan appreciated China’s constructive and sustained diplomatic efforts on Afghanistan, Andrabi said, adding that Islamabad remained positively engaged in efforts to promote constructive dialogue.
However, he reiterated Pakistan’s position that Afghan territory must not be used for terrorism against Pakistan.
The Taliban government, he said, would have to take concrete and verifiable measures to eliminate terrorism emanating from Afghanistan, including action against the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and other terrorist organisations.
Andrabi said Pakistan’s future decisions regarding talks and engagement with Afghanistan remained conditional on the Taliban government providing guarantees that Afghan soil would not be used for terrorism against Pakistan.
Asked about the possibility of a second phase of talks with Afghanistan, he said there was currently no information available.
