Says Pakistan stays engaged in diplomacy
Lauds Oman’s role in promoting peace, stability
Rejects India’s criti
Foreign Office. Photo: File
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan said on Thursday it was part of regional diplomatic efforts to resolve standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, describing the crisis as key to easing wider tensions between Iran and the US.
The Foreign Office said Pakistan remained actively engaged with regional partners to defuse the crisis, describing the Strait of Hormuz dispute as a key obstacle to a wider settlement in the Gulf.
“Pakistan remains engaged alongside other brotherly states in sincere efforts to resolve the crisis in the Gulf and the Middle East, especially with respect to the standoff in Strait of Hormuz,” Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi told the weekly media briefing.
The spokesperson said Pakistan appreciated Oman’s role in promoting peace and stability, noting that Muscat, as a littoral state overlooking the Strait of Hormuz, had played a “constructive role” in efforts to de-escalate the crisis. He said Islamabad would continue supporting “all sincere efforts aimed at achieving a comprehensive, just, and lasting resolution” of the conflict.
Responding to questions, Andrabi said any agreement on the Strait of Hormuz would help revive the broader diplomatic process between Tehran and Washington.
“The resolution of the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz will obviously create a conducive environment for the parties to return to the Islamabad MoU and the framework of talks as envisaged in the Pakistan-Qatar Joint Statement,” he said.
He added that Pakistan hoped an agreement on the waterway would pave the way for the resumption of technical-level talks between Iran and the United States.
Andrabi maintained that Pakistan remained engaged with all parties, describing its role as part of a coordinated regional effort involving Qatar, Oman and other Gulf states.
Tehran on Thursday said it was close to agreeing a new arrangement with Oman to manage the maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian officials said the arrangement would be “temporary” but added that its reopening is linked with the US ending the Naval blockade, lifting of sanctions on energy sector and broader ceasefire in Lebanon.
Although, Iran and Oman are finalizing the deal, in reality the potential arrangement is being seen as part of larger understanding among key stakeholders, including Iran, the US and Gulf countries.
On Kashmir, the Foreign Office strongly rejected India’s criticism of the ongoing Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections and dismissed New Delhi’s response to Pakistan’s observance of Youm-e-Istehsal.
The spokesperson reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir remained an internationally recognised disputed territory and said no unilateral action by India could alter its legal status. Referring to recent remarks by the United Nations spokesperson, Andrabi said they reaffirmed the established international legal position that the status of Jammu and Kashmir remained subject to relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
He urged India to reverse its actions of August 5, 2019, end human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and create conditions for a peaceful resolution of the dispute through a UN-supervised plebiscite.
On Bangladesh, the Foreign Office declined to comment on remarks made by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her son from India, insisting that developments in Bangladesh were an internal matter.
“We do not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries,” Andrabi said, adding that Pakistan’s diplomatic engagement with Bangladesh continued through normal diplomatic channels.
He said the people of Bangladesh were fully capable of resolving their issues independently without external interference and reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to expanding cooperation with Dhaka.
The spokesperson categorically rejected allegations linking Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to political developments in Bangladesh, calling such insinuations baseless while reiterating Islamabad’s policy of non-interference in the country’s domestic affairs.
Replying to another question regarding attacks on commercial vessels transiting through Bab al-Mandeb, Andrabi said Pakistan had consistently condemned attacks on maritime shipping irrespective of the nationality of the vessels.
“We have condemned attacks on vessels in Bab al-Mandeb, whether they are Saudi or from any other country. Pakistan-Saudi Arabia cooperation will continue,” he said.
Responding to a question on Afghanistan, the spokesperson said Pakistan had repeatedly conveyed to the Afghan authorities its serious concerns regarding the use of Afghan soil by terrorist groups to launch attacks inside Pakistan.
He said Pakistan had consistently urged the Afghan government to ensure that its territory was not used for terrorism against any other country.
