By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office said Thursday that Islamabad remains deeply engaged with both Washington and Tehran in an effort to broker a resolution to their conflict, even as a second round of direct negotiations failed to materialize and the strategic Strait of Hormuz stayed closed for a second month.
Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi told reporters at the weekly briefing that Pakistan, which hosted the first round of face-to-face talks between American and Iranian officials, continues to press both sides for de-escalation. “The clock on diplomacy has not stopped,” he said, repeating a formulation he used several times to underscore Islamabad’s determination to keep negotiations alive.
Pakistan has drawn on its longstanding relationships with the Trump administration and the Iranian government to position itself as a potential intermediary. Andrabi described the Pakistani efforts as “constructive,” noting that recent understandings on a ceasefire had already helped avert further escalation and civilian casualties. He expressed confidence that a negotiated settlement remained possible. “We remain hopeful of a negotiated settlement of this issue,” Andrabi said. “And we will continue our sincere efforts for the cause of peace and prosperity in the region and beyond.”
The briefing came two months after US-Israeli strikes on Iran ignited the conflict. Iran has maintained a chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil and natural gas shipments pass. The United States, for its part, has not eased its blockade of Iranian ports. The resulting disruptions have driven up global energy prices and forced shipping lines to take far longer routes, raising fears of broader economic fallout.
Andrabi said Pakistan supports the swift reopening of the strait and the safe passage of civilian vessels. “We agree on the urgency of the situation and fundamental objective of the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the normalization of the situation in this context,” he said. The spokesman described the waterway as vital not only for energy supplies but for global trade more broadly, adding, “The closure of the Strait of Hormuz affects the entire world.”
Pakistan, he said, also backs the interests of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries in the matter, an issue of direct concern to Islamabad given its own economic ties to the region. The mediation efforts are being led at the highest levels of Pakistan’s government. Andrabi detailed a flurry of diplomatic activity involving Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and senior military officials. That included multiple telephone calls between Sharif and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, consultations with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, meetings with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Sharif’s encounter with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey. These engagements, Andrabi said, had helped facilitate recent US-Iran ceasefire understandings and had been “widely acknowledged by international partners.”
In response to a question about unverified social-media reports claiming that Pakistanis were being laid off or profiled for employment in the United Arab Emirates, Andrabi dismissed the claims outright. More than 2.2 million Pakistanis live and work in the UAE, he noted, contributing significantly to its economy. “Any news of any targeting or any profiling of Pakistanis for employment is untrue,” he said. He suggested the reports might be part of a deliberate effort “to drive a wedge between brotherly relations of Pakistan and United Arab Emirates.”
The briefing also included updates on several consular crises involving Pakistani nationals abroad. Andrabi said Pakistani authorities are in direct contact with the Somali government over the hijacking last week of an oil tanker off the Somali coast. Eleven Pakistani crew members and the vessel’s Indonesian captain remain hostage. The pirates have also been in communication with the ship’s owner, he said, as concerns grow about a possible resurgence of piracy in the Indian Ocean. The incident has heightened worries about maritime security at a time when shipping routes are already strained by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
In Cambodia, the number of Pakistanis detained after a police raid on a suspected scamming compound has risen to 84 — 76 men and eight women. Andrabi said all are safe, receiving food and medical care, and have been granted consular access. Deputy Head of Mission Bilal Mohsin has met with them. Most had been lured by fraudulent job offers and entered the country on tourist visas, only to overstay or work illegally. Cambodian authorities have agreed to waive fines in many cases, and repatriation is expected once legal formalities are completed. An earlier group of 54 detainees from Siem Reap province is already slated for early return.
In Uganda, 27 Pakistanis detained in Kampala are scheduled to return home Thursday, Andrabi said, while another 30 are arranging travel. The remaining individuals, who had been on visit visas, will depart in due course. Pakistani diplomats are seeking waivers on financial penalties imposed by Ugandan immigration authorities.
On the Afghan border, Andrabi condemned what he called unprovoked firing and shelling by Afghan forces on April 26 and 29 in the South Waziristan district, including the Angoor Adda area. The attacks injured civilians, including women and children, and damaged homes. He expressed solidarity with the affected families and said Pakistani forces were taking steps to ensure safety and prevent further incidents.
Andrabi dismissed recent allegations from Kabul as “propaganda” and reiterated Pakistan’s longstanding demand that Afghan territory not be used as a launchpad for attacks against Pakistan.Throughout the briefing, Andrabi returned to Pakistan’s broader stance: a commitment to dialogue as the only path to resolving conflicts that threaten regional stability and global commerce.
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