ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday said that Iran had agreed not to acquire nuclear weapons, while the United States was seeking the complete dismantling of Tehran’s nuclear programme.
“I held a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and disclosed that Iran had agreed not to build nuclear weapons, but the US wanted Iran’s entire nuclear programme to be completely dismantled,” he said while briefing the Senate on Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts following the recent attack on Iran.
The Middle East conflict expanded with no end in sight, with Israel attacking Iran and Tehran firing missiles and drones at the “US interests and bases” across the Gulf states.
During the four-day conflict, a number of Iranian senior leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, embraced martyrdom in the “unprovoked and unwarranted” airstrikes by Israel and the United States.
Iranian officials warned that Khamenei’s martyrdom would mark a turning point, with the Revolutionary Guard vowing retaliation and declaring that “this great crime will not go unpunished”.
Speaking on the floor of the upper house of parliament, the deputy premier said Pakistan ensured that Iran’s right to continue a peaceful nuclear programme was accepted.
He told parliamentarians that Pakistan was prepared to facilitate mediation between the United States and Iran in Islamabad, saying that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir played a “very active and positive role in diplomatic and defence-level engagements”.
Dar said he had immediately contacted the Iranian foreign minister after the attack and strongly condemned the strikes on Iran. He said the prime minister, on behalf of the government and people of Pakistan, also conveyed condolences on the martyrdom of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
He informed the upper house that after the attack on Iran, he spoke to the foreign ministers of many countries, including Turkiye, Maldives, Bangladesh, Iran, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman.
Dar said the Omani foreign minister informed him that positive progress was being made in the Iran-US talks and that negotiations had been moving in the right direction, despite which Iran was attacked.
He said Iran is a brotherly and neighbouring country, and Pakistan has made full-scale diplomatic efforts to resolve the matter. He added that Pakistan also worked through back-channel diplomacy to find a peaceful solution, and that the Iranian leadership was fully aware of Islamabad’s efforts.
Dar said Pakistan supported Iran’s right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy and recalled that when Pakistan held the presidency of the UN Security Council, it convened several debates on the issue.
He said that the recent attack resembled last year’s June incident, adding that in June, when Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Asim Munir was returning to Pakistan from the United States via the United Kingdom, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi invited him to Istanbul, where meetings were held, and Iran was urged to resolve the issue through diplomacy and negotiations.
Dar said people who protested should know that Pakistan stood with Iran. He said some parties insisted that Iran must remain under monitoring and that Pakistan was also asked to be included among the three countries in this framework.
He said Field Marshal Munir made significant efforts within defence circles to defuse tensions. He said attacks were also carried out on Gulf countries and Iran announced strikes on US bases. He said airports were hit and stressed that Pakistan should not be dragged into the conflict.
He added that had Gulf countries not been targeted, Pakistan would have raised a joint voice with them against the United States and Israel, but despite resistance and pressure, Pakistan condemned the attack within 15 minutes.
Dar said Pakistan was not seeking numbers or hype and stressed that it was Pakistan’s responsibility to continue its diplomatic efforts. He said a decision was taken in a meeting chaired by the prime minister that efforts must continue to reduce tensions.
He said leaders of countries he contacted told him that, had patience prevailed, all regional states could have been brought together for dialogue.
He said Pakistan had already signed a strategic agreement with Saudi Arabia and that he remained in contact with Iran.
Regional security assurances and evacuations
Dar said Iran had sought assurances that its territory would not be used, and Pakistan conveyed those assurances, adding that Saudi Arabia also provided the same assurance.
He said comparatively fewer attacks took place in Saudi Arabia and Oman, and that Pakistan facilitated the assurances Iran sought from Saudi Arabia.
He informed the Senate that around 35,000 Pakistanis were currently in Iran, while the Taftan-Zahedan border was operational. He said 792 Pakistanis had already been evacuated, roads remained open but airspace was closed, and people were returning through road routes.
He said it was Pakistan’s duty and the government was fulfilling that responsibility.
He said opposition leaders of both houses and parliamentary leaders would be given a detailed briefing the next day. He added that operational matters relating to Afghanistan would be discussed separately.
He described the current situation as highly challenging, saying that the entire region was facing a conflict-like environment and reiterated that the government remained fully engaged diplomatically.
