Pakistan Sees Hope For Lasting Deal

By Staff, Agencies

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said that a high-level phone call led by Donald Trump early Sunday, involving regional leaders, represents a “significant step” toward advancing diplomatic efforts for regional peace and stability.

In a post on X, Dar said the call included leaders from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan and focused on efforts to reach an “early diplomatic outcome” related to ongoing negotiations involving Iran.

Earlier, sources said that Tehran and Washington are in the final stages of drafting a framework agreement through Pakistani mediation aimed at ending the ongoing war and establishing de-escalation arrangements.

According to the sources, the proposed arrangement is not a final agreement but rather a memorandum of understanding designed to outline immediate political, military, and maritime steps following months of regional escalation.

The sources added that the memorandum does not include any clause related to Iran’s nuclear file, which is expected to be addressed in a separate track after the framework is signed.

At the same time, Dar said the talks marked “meaningful progress” toward regional stability, praising the involvement of US leaders including Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, as well as Iranian officials such as President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.

Additionally, Dar thanked UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and regional partners, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar, for sustained diplomatic engagement since February, while also praising Pakistani leadership—Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir—for supporting the process.

Moreover, Dar said the talks mark a step toward regional stability, expressing “grounds for optimism” that a durable deal could be reached and stressing diplomacy over confrontation.