Shehbaz lauds progress in US-Iran talks, backs diplomacy

High-level committee formed to oversee negotiations as technical discussions move forward.

Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday thanked all stakeholders involved in the US-Iran peace talks held in Switzerland, saying the negotiations had made “encouraging progress”.

In a social media post, Sharif said the first high-level committee meeting under the framework of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) concluded successfully in Burgenstock.

“The discussions were held in a positive and constructive atmosphere and yielded encouraging progress, including agreement on a roadmap toward a final deal within 60 days, the establishment of a High-Level Committee to provide political oversight, and the commencement of further technical talks,” he said.

The prime minister commended the leadership of both the US and Iran for their continued commitment to constructive engagement and thanked “all brotherly and friendly countries” for their support in advancing the “historic process”.

He expressed gratitude to Qatar for its critical support in creating the conditions necessary for the negotiations to move forward and thanked the Swiss government for facilitating the talks.

While the US team was led by Vice President JD Vance, the Iranian delegation was led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

Sharif and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani also participated in the discussions, facilitating the negotiations.

The high-level talks at the Lake Lucerne Summit in Switzerland, held on Sunday and Monday, took place under the framework of the Islamabad MoU signed by the US and Iran on Thursday to advance negotiations on regional security and other contentious issues.

The MoU was signed by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, with Sharif signing as a guarantor.

Sharif also paid “special tribute” to Field Marshal Asim Munir for his “untiring efforts” to make “these talks a success”.

“His dedication, commitment and perseverance are indeed commendable without which there would have been no progress,” he said.

Sharif also conveyed his “warm compliments and heartfelt gratitude” to his deputy and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, for his diplomatic efforts, along with his team at the Foreign Office.

He also appreciated the contribution of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to the success of the talks.

“Pakistan will continue to play its honest and sincere role in advancing dialogue and diplomacy towards a peaceful and lasting resolution,” Sharif said.