By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's Foreign Office announced that technical-level negotiations between the United States and Iran under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) framework will resume next week.

The development follows a temporary pause after the second round of discussions held in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, on June 22.

"The talks are continuing. I believe that the Talks will resume next week, probably on Tuesday," said Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi during his weekly press briefing in Islamabad.

Pakistan and Qatar continue to serve as mediators, with Ambassador Nabeel Munir, Pakistan's Special Secretary, leading the Pakistani delegation.

According to the joint statement issued by Pakistan and Qatar following the Lucerne Summit, progress is being made on key technical issues through three specialized working groups focused on Iran's nuclear program, sanctions and frozen assets, and Lebanon. The framework establishes a High-Level Committee for political oversight and envisions a comprehensive agreement within 60 days.

Addressing questions about sanctions relief, the Spokesperson clarified that while the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has been lifted, progress on economic projects—including the Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline—remains contingent on the removal of US and international sanctions. "Broadly, the progress on these projects will hinge on the pace of the relief of sanctions," Andrabi stated, noting that sanctions extend beyond US measures to include EU restrictions.

President Masoud Pezeshkian's one-day visit to Pakistan on June 23 reaffirmed bilateral commitment to peace and stability, with discussions covering trade, energy, border security, and regional connectivity.

President Pezeshkian praised Pakistan's "constructive and responsible role in promoting dialogue, de-escalation, and regional stability" . No new MOUs were signed, with the visit primarily focusing on implementing previous agreements.

- Afghanistan and Diplomatic Engagement

On Afghanistan, Andrabi emphasized that renewed diplomacy requires "verifiable assurances" that Afghan soil will not be used for attacks against Pakistan.

He noted that Pakistan had pursued extensive diplomatic engagement prior to October 2025, but security concerns had crossed a threshold.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif recently stated that thousands of Pakistani civilians and soldiers have been martyred since 2022 due to terrorist activity originating from Afghanistan.

Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar has maintained intensive diplomatic outreach, with recent calls to counterparts from China, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Uzbekistan, Japan, and Italy, among others.

During the Arria-Formula meeting co-convened by China and Pakistan on June 24, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, P. Harish, criticized Pakistan for raising the Kashmir issue, calling it an attempt to "politicize" the forum and reiterating that Jammu and Kashmir is "strictly internal to India".

The meeting addressed the implementation gap of Security Council resolutions, where Pakistan's Permanent Representative, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, highlighted the non-implementation of resolutions on Kashmir and Palestine.

In a separate development, Pakistan and Denmark co-sponsored UN Security Council Resolution 2823, adopted unanimously with 153 co-sponsors, strengthening accountability for crimes against UN peacekeepers . Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad introduced the resolution, which mandates annual progress reports and the appointment of a senior UN focal point for peacekeeper protection.