Speaking at the Foreign Office’s weekly briefing, Andrabi said Pakistan, together with friendly countries, was making sincere and coordinated efforts through dialogue and diplomacy to promote peace and stability in the region.
He said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had visited Tehran on August 14 as part of Pakistan’s diplomatic initiative. Discussions during the visit focused on reducing regional tensions, ending the military standoff and finding a negotiated solution to the conflict.
Andrabi said Dar had also remained in regular contact with regional counterparts. He held telephone conversations with the Turkish foreign minister on August 17, 19 and 25, with discussions focusing on the regional situation and the importance of advancing negotiations and diplomacy.
The spokesperson said Pakistan believed lasting solutions to regional challenges could only be achieved through dialogue and diplomacy.
He also said Field Marshal Asim Munir visited Tehran on August 24 and that Pakistan had played a constructive role in facilitating communication between Washington and Tehran. According to Andrabi, the Iranian leadership had appreciated Pakistan’s efforts.
Pakistan is also preparing to assume the chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) for one year and will host the SCO summit next year.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to attend the SCO summit in Bishkek and hold bilateral meetings with participating leaders, including the leadership of Kyrgyzstan.