Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday expressed concern at the “sudden” US‑Israel coordinated attack on Iran, despite “positive direction” observed in talks between Washington and Tehran.
The minister made the remarks while addressing a session of the Senate.
He recalled that the process of talks between the two countries was “going successfully”, citing the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Austria, where Pakistan held a meeting with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief, Rafael Grossi, who Dar said was “optimistic that dialogue was heading in a positive direction”.
The foreign minister also recalled his conversation with the foreign minister of Oman last night, where he was told that the last round of talks between the US and Iran had ended “on a positive note”.
“He told me that after the talks, the Omani FM flew to Washington, where he met the vice president and told him that the dialogue was going in a positive direction,” Dar said.
Expressing concern at the “sudden” attack in light of the above-mentioned developments, he said, “It was a repeat of what happened in June last year,” referring to the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June.
FM Dar recalled that last year in June, he, along with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, was in Istanbul at the meeting of a multilateral forum.
“Tensions were building up, and I remember Field Marshal Asim Munir Sahib was on his way from the US to Pakistan and Araghchi suggested that I should ask the field marshal to come to Istanbul,” he said.
“So on June 12, the field marshal and I had a meeting with Araghchi, where we tried to convince him to resolve things through diplomacy and dialogue,” he said.
The foreign minister also recalled his August 2025 meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, where Dar said he had taken up the issue of Iran.
“I received a positive response,” he said, adding that Pakistan, on its part, had tried to ensure that the issue was resolved.
He said Pakistan objected to the US demand of no enrichment, arguing that “peaceful use of nuclear energy was a legitimate right”.
He recalled that it was agreed that “there should be surveillance of two to three countries, and Iran was happy with that”.
“It was then decided where the talks should be held, with one party suggesting Oman and Islamabad, while the other suggested Doha and Islamabad.”
“Islamabad was common in both suggestions; they were to be engaged in Islamabad, and we were happy to mediate,” FM Dar recalled.
Talking about Iran’s counter-attack on “so-called US bases,” the minister noted that “there have been attacks on infrastructure and airports as well”.
“Had this not happened, we would have rallied these countries to stand up and have a joint voice against Israeli and US actions,” the minister said.
Dar claimed that Pakistan was the only country which had condemned US-Israeli coordinated attacks, stating that “it took me 15 minutes to decide that we had to condemn”.
Dar also noted Pakistan’s Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia, saying Pakistan told Iran to “please keep that in mind”.
“They (Iran) asked for some assurances,” he said, stating that Tehran asked for reassurances that Saudi “soil should not be used”.
“I got them the assurances,” Dar said, noting the “minimal reaction” on Iran’s part against Saudi Arabia and Oman.
“I am grateful they were able to understand my point, and in accordance with that, we secured assurances for them,” the minister said.
Turning his attention to repatriation efforts for Pakistanis in Iran, the minister said that a total of 35,000 Pakistani nationals were currently in Iran.
He detailed that “792 Pakistanis have been repatriated so far, out of which 694 crossed through the Taftan border”.
“We also remain engaged with the Baku government so that Pakistani nationals in the northern parts of Iran can cross the border,” the minister added.
He further detailed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs remained “active in all regions”.
He also gave reassurances that Pakistan’s “position on Iran has not changed, stating that the work of the leadership at this point should be to manage people’s sentiments”.
“Do not let people get swayed,” he added.
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