ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Thursday a halt to hostilities in Lebanon was essential for broader Middle East peace talks, adding it considered the country part of a wider ceasefire framework following a temporary US-Iran truce that led to direct talks between Washington and Tehran in Islamabad.
The remarks came amid differing interpretations of the two-week ceasefire, with Iran and Pakistan saying it extends to Lebanon, which has been bombed by Israel, though the United States has denied this and Israeli operations there have continued.
Pakistan, which has positioned itself as a facilitator after hosting direct talks between senior US and Iranian officials, has emphasized the need for de-escalation across the region to sustain negotiations.
“Lebanon, in our interpretation, is part of the broader ceasefire,” Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said during a weekly press briefing.
“We are encouraged by recent improvements on the Israel-Lebanon front over the past two days,” he continued, as reports emerged that a ceasefire was expected. “Peace in Lebanon and cessation of armed attacks there are essential, as they create a conducive environment for broader peace talks.”
Andrabi said Pakistan maintained close coordination with Saudi Arabia and China during the peace talks, describing its ties with them as “special.”
”We have had close discussions with China and Saudi Arabia,” he said. “If you see the list of telephone conversations between our leadership and the leadership in Riyadh and Beijing, these conversations took place just before or after the talks. So these countries are very close, trusted partners in these talks, both KSA and China.”
He further noted that China and Saudi Arabia are supportive of Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts.
“They are our close partners and our numerous interactions with them at the highest level are a demonstration of this fact.”
DEFENSE PACT
Regarding the deployment of Pakistani forces in Saudi Arabia, the spokesperson confirmed that the defense pact signed last September is now fully operational.
“As I mentioned, our defense agreement [with Saudi Arabia] is operational, it’s working,” he said, adding that attacks launched by Iran against its Gulf neighbors were already on the table and part of the ongoing conversations.
He added that a key aspect of Pakistan’s approach is to “take our partners, allies, friendly countries and any country who is supportive of the peace process into confidence, keeping them briefed on policies.”
Asked about the next round of talks, Andrabi clarified that no specific dates or venues have so far been finalized.
’TRUSTED PARTNER’
Addressing questions regarding the Pakistan-UAE ties and reports that Islamabad will repay a $3.5 billion loan to the UAE by the end of this month, the spokesperson emphasized the strength of the bilateral relationship.
“The UAE is our very old, trusted partner, our friend, our brotherly country,” he said. “We have deep relations, deep historical, cultural, religious ties with that country.”
“I will very strongly dispel any notion that there exists any gap or any difference between our sides,” he added. “The amount that you mentioned, the discussions predate this [Iran] conflict. If you recall, this was something that was being discussed since last year and materialized into a concrete transaction plan subsequently. And this predates this conflict.”
Andrabi said Pakistan unequivocally condemned any aggression or armed attacks against the UAE, maintaining that Islamabad’s position remains steadfast on this matter.
