Pakistan Maintains 'Open Channels Of Communication' With US, Iran

ISTANBUL, April 30 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Pakistan on Thursday said that it has maintained "open channels of communication" with the United States (US) and Iran in recent weeks, amid stalled talks to address "complex geopolitical challenges", Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported.

Islamabad has continued to uphold "sustained interaction" with both Washington and Tehran in the past few weeks, Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said during a regular news conference in Islamabad.

Pakistan remains committed to regional stability and international peace, "reflecting our preference for principled dialogue-oriented diplomacy and addressing complex geopolitical challenges" as well as managing "festering disputes", he added.

Andrabi then went on to detail the country's diplomatic outreach efforts, conducted both by phone and in person, with international and regional partners.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday also said diplomatic efforts to ease tensions in West Asia are continuing "consistently."

"Our efforts for peace continue consistently and will continue," Sharif told a Cabinet meeting.

The US and Israel began strikes on Iran on Feb 28, prompting retaliation from Tehran against US allies in the Gulf and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire was announced on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, followed by talks in Islamabad on April 11, but an agreement could not be reached.

Trump later unilaterally extended the truce without any new time frame, at Pakistan’s request.

He also rejected a proposal from Iran, in which Tehran suggested reopening the Strait of Hormuz while leaving questions about its nuclear programme for later negotiations.

-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU