Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi says Islamabad’s peace initiative has received ‘appreciation from across the region and beyond,’ while accusing New Delhi of ‘stoking sectarianism’ by bracketing Shia Muslims as a minority.

By Zahid Shah

ISLAMABAD -  Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Thursday that both the United States and Iran have expressed confidence in Islamabad’s ability to facilitate direct talks between the two adversaries, as the nuclear-armed nation positions itself as a key mediator in the widening West Asian conflict.

At a weekly press briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi told journalists that Pakistan remains “honored to host and facilitate meaningful talks between the two sides in the coming days for a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the ongoing conflict.”

He confirmed that Tehran has agreed to allow 20 Pakistani-flagged ships -- two per day -- to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, calling it “a welcome and constructive gesture” and “a harbinger of peace.”

The announcement comes as Israel and the United States continue military operations against Iranian targets, with President Donald Trump recently vowing to bomb the country “back to the Stone Age.” Andrabi dismissed such rhetoric as expected amid hostilities, saying Pakistan is “not deterred by those harsh sentiments.”

Andrabi revealed that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, despite suffering a hairline shoulder fracture, traveled to Beijing on March 31 for talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. The visit produced a five-point Pakistan-China initiative for restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and Middle East, calling for:

1. Immediate cessation of hostilities and humanitarian access

2. Start of peace talks while safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity

3. Protection of civilians and non-military targets under International Humanitarian Law

4. Security of shipping lanes and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz

5. Reaffirmation of the UN Charter as the framework for lasting peace

The spokesperson noted “significant commonalities” between the China-Pakistan points and a seven-point summary issued after a separate meeting in Islamabad last Sunday among the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt.

That gathering -- the second of its kind -- focused on “possible ways to bring an early and permanent end to the war in the region,” Andrabi said.

Asked whether China might serve as a guarantor for any eventual agreement, Andrabi declined to comment, referring questions to Beijing.

- ‘No Instance of Collapsed Talks’

Responding to concerns about the feasibility of US-Iran negotiations amid ongoing airstrikes, Andrabi pushed back against suggestions that planned talks had “collapsed.” He insisted that “there has never been an instance where these talks were scheduled and collapsed,” adding that the timeline depends entirely on the parties themselves.

“Those in the process of peaceful settlement of disputes have to be optimistic,” he said. “We, therefore, proceed with a certain degree of optimism on this issue.”

When pressed on whether any concrete dates have been set for delegations to arrive in Islamabad, Andrabi acknowledged that details on timing and delegation composition remain undetermined. “It is up to the relevant parties to decide on these issues,” he said, while confirming that Iran has given no indication of unwillingness to come. “Islamabad remains safe, Alhamdulillah.”

The spokesperson also disclosed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister Dar has held multiple phone conversations this week with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, and European Council President António Costa. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also spoken with the Crown Prince of Kuwait, who “fully endorsed Pakistan’s efforts for mediation between Iran and the US.”

- India Accused of ‘Stoking Sectarianism’

In a sharp exchange, Andrabi condemned recent remarks by India’s Ministry of External Affairs that he said attempted to bracket Pakistan’s Shia Muslim community as a minority distinct from Sunnis, a characterization he labeled “extremely dangerous.”

“This shows that the Indian MEA is trying to stoke sectarianism and discord within our society,” Andrabi charged. “The Shia community, our Shia brothers and sisters, are part of the Muslim community. There is no distinction for us between Shias and Sunnis in terms of the majority-minority paradigm. These are just schools of thought within a broader Muslim faith.”

The spokesperson accused India of a “deep nexus” with “fake news peddlers in Afghanistan” aimed at spreading misinformation about Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts. He warned that such disinformation “can be extremely dangerous” amid the delicate facilitation process for US-Iran talks.

Andrabi also highlighted what he called India’s record of persecuting religious minorities, citing “verifiable records of lynching of Muslims” at a rate of “close to 100 per year.” He called on New Delhi to “refrain from issuing such baseless and dangerous statements” and to uphold international human rights obligations.

The spokesperson also drew attention to a joint statement issued Tuesday by the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, condemning Israeli restrictions on Muslim and Christian worship in occupied Jerusalem. The statement affirmed that Al-Aqsa Mosque’s entire 144-dunam compound is “a place of worship exclusively for Muslims” and that Israel, “as the occupying Power, holds no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem.”

Asked whether Pakistan can balance its relationships with the United States and China given their competing interests, Andrabi replied simply: “Yes, we can balance.”

When a journalist pressed further on the source of his optimism about US-Iran talks, the spokesperson offered a wry acknowledgment of diplomacy’s inherent uncertainties. “Optimism in diplomacy is a professional hazard,” Andrabi said. “We all live with it.”