By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan and Switzerland's top diplomats held their second telephone conversation in less than 24 hours on Saturday, as both nations welcomed "encouraging progress" toward a US-Iran understanding that could be signed in Geneva.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar spoke with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, with both leaders expressing hope that ongoing efforts would "soon contribute to peace and stability in the region," according to a Pakistan Foreign Ministry statement.

Both sides agreed to remain in close contact as diplomatic momentum builds toward a potential breakthrough.

Switzerland on Friday hailed Pakistan's role in mediating between the United States and Iran, amid reports that a possible peace deal could be signed in Geneva. During an earlier call with Dar, Foreign Minister Cassis specifically appreciated Islamabad's leading diplomatic efforts.

Pakistan has been mediating between the two warring nations since it brokered a ceasefire on April 8 to halt the war, which began on February 28 following joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced Friday that the US and Iran have "reached" an agreement on a "final text" for a pact to end the war. In a post on X, Sharif said Islamabad is now "working closely" with Washington and Tehran to "finalize the next steps."

"Peace has never been this close as it is now," Sharif said, marking a historic moment for Pakistan, which hosted the highest-level talks between the US and Iran since the two nations severed diplomatic ties in 1979.

The Prime Minister also warned against what he called "an incessant misinformation campaign being waged by those who want to sabotage the peace deal" amid Pakistan's "intense mediation efforts."

Sharif is likely to depart for Geneva to witness the signing of the possible peace deal, Pakistani government sources told Anadolu Agency. Reports also suggest that US Vice President JD Vance may fly to Europe to sign the deal with Iran, according to Anadolu Agency.

President Donald Trump said Thursday that he had canceled imminent airstrikes on Iran and claimed that an agreement was nearly complete. The back-to-back diplomatic contacts between Islamabad and Bern underscore the intense final-stage coordination as the world awaits what could be a landmark peace agreement.