ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has dispatched a diplomatic team from Djibouti to Somalia as part of efforts to secure the release of Pakistani hostages, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said on Wednesday, stressing that the matter remained a top government priority.
“The government of Pakistan’s foremost priority is the safe release of the hostages,” Andrabi told reporters at his weekly press briefing. “We are utilising multiple channels, diplomatic means, friendly countries, local NGOs, and assistance of activist Ansar Burney to secure their release.”
Pezeshkian’s Islamabad visit
The spokesperson also briefed journalists on Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s visit to Pakistan, which took place on Tuesday at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Pezeshkian was accompanied by a high-level delegation that included Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
“The Iranian president held meetings with the President of Pakistan, the Prime Minister, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” Andrabi said. Delegation-level talks between PM Sharif and President Pezeshkian covered key aspects of bilateral relations, including the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Nuclear diplomacy
On the US-Iran nuclear negotiations, Andrabi said Pakistan and Qatar had jointly hosted the first high-level session under the Islamabad MoU framework, with PM Sharif, US Vice President JD Vance, and Iran’s Parliament Speaker all in attendance.
“Senior negotiators will regularly brief the high-level committee on progress in the negotiations,” he said. “Pakistan and Qatar will remain in continuous contact with American and Iranian technical teams in the coming weeks.”
Andrabi said Pakistan had taken note of the positive international reception to its mediating role. “Pakistan welcomes remarks from various countries and the international community regarding its positive and constructive role,” he said.
Regional engagements
The fourth meeting of R4 foreign ministers was held in Cairo on June 21, where the Islamabad MoU was reviewed. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who attended the session, also met with the Egyptian President on the sidelines.
Andrabi added that in recent weeks, Deputy PM Dar had held telephonic conversations with the foreign ministers of Italy, Japan, China, Turkey, Egypt, Canada, Qatar, Bahrain, Iran, Uzbekistan, and the EU, as well as the Swiss Foreign Minister.