By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has urged the United States and Iran to exercise restraint and return to diplomacy, while defending its position on international sanctions and warning that militant groups based in Afghanistan remain a major security concern.

Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said Thursday that Pakistan, which has been facilitating communication between Washington and Tehran, believed dialogue was the only viable way to achieve lasting peace and stability.

“Pakistan, as a mediator, urges both sides - the United States and Iran - to exercise restraint,” Khan said at his weekly press briefing, adding that Islamabad welcomed negotiations and diplomatic efforts.

He said Pakistan had helped facilitate the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between the two sides and remained in contact with relevant stakeholders. Khan also confirmed that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during the UN General Assembly high-level week in New York.

Pakistan has sought to balance its relations with both Washington and Tehran. Khan said Islamabad values its longstanding strategic partnership with the United States and wants to strengthen diplomatic, economic and security ties, while also maintaining engagement with Iran.

On sanctions, Khan clarified Pakistan's position after earlier remarks were interpreted as suggesting that Islamabad did not recognize unilateral sanctions.

He said Pakistan is a responsible member of the international community and will continue to comply with applicable sanctions regimes under international and domestic law. He also reaffirmed Islamabad's support for multilateralism, international law and a rules-based international system.

Khan said Dar had also stressed the importance of uninterrupted energy supplies and the safe and speedy movement of ships during his recent discussions with Araghchi, noting the potential impact of regional tensions on developing countries and global supply chains.

Afghanistan

Pakistan's relations with Afghanistan remain another major foreign-policy challenge.

Khan accused Afghanistan's Taliban government of allowing militant organizations to operate from Afghan territory, saying Pakistan had identified more than three dozen small and large terrorist organizations that Islamabad believes are operating there.

He said Pakistan respects Afghanistan's sovereignty and wants peaceful relations but has a responsibility to protect its citizens.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups of carrying out attacks inside Pakistan from bases in Afghanistan. Afghan authorities have rejected Islamabad's accusations.

The tensions have also led to Pakistani cross-border strikes. Pakistan says its recent military operations targeted militant infrastructure in Afghanistan, while Afghan authorities have disputed Pakistani claims and reported civilian casualties.

Khan said Pakistan had exercised “strategic restraint” for an extended period, including through repeated diplomatic engagement and visits by senior officials. However, he said terrorism had now become a “red line” for Islamabad.

He stressed that Pakistan's preference remained dialogue but said engagement should not be interpreted as weakness.

“Dialogue is not weakness,” Khan said, arguing that sustainable relations between the two countries require trust, mutual respect and an end to what Pakistan describes as support for militant organizations operating against it.

India

Khan also criticized India over what Pakistan described as an attempt to demolish parts of the historic Shahi Masjid in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, and the use of force against Muslim protesters.

The Pakistani spokesman described the incident as part of what he characterized as a wider pattern affecting Muslim places of worship and heritage sites in India. Those descriptions represent the Pakistani government's position and were not independently established in the briefing.

At the same time, Khan welcomed the recent visit to Pakistan by India's national coordinator for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Amitabh Dimri.

The Indian official met Dar and other Pakistani officials during the visit, which Khan described as an important multilateral contact. He said Dimri expressed interest in visiting cities including Sialkot, Faisalabad and Lahore as Pakistan prepares for its SCO responsibilities.

Khan said Pakistan hoped Indian participation in SCO activities would continue.

The two countries also remain divided over the Indus Waters Treaty. Pakistan has rejected India's interpretation of a recent Court of Arbitration decision and maintains that the treaty remains legally binding.

Broader diplomacy

Khan said Dar's recent diplomatic engagements at the UN General Assembly included meetings with officials from several countries as Pakistan sought to strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

Pakistan is also serving as chair of the SCO for 2026-27. The first meeting of the organisation's Council of National Coordinators under Pakistan's chairmanship was held in Islamabad from Sept. 28 to 30.

The briefing also addressed the deaths of five crew members during an operation to recover the hijacked MT Honour 25 off Somalia. Three of those killed were Pakistani nationals. Four crew members were injured, including three Pakistanis, and Islamabad said it was arranging their medical treatment and the repatriation of the dead and injured.