Pakistan brought US, Iran ‘under one roof’ through Islamabad talks, says PM Shehbaz at UNGA

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said Pakistan had brought the United States and Iran “under one roof” for negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict that had engulfed the wider region. Addressing the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the prime minister highlighted the US-Israel attack on Iran, which he said led to the resumption of the war earlier this year, calling it an “unfortunate incident”. “Unfortunately, conflict engulfed the Gulf along with the wider Middle East. Precious lives were lost, economies suffered, critical maritime routes, particularly the Strait of Hormuz, came under severe pressure,” he said, highlighting Pakistan’s efforts to resolve the conflict. He said that at the critical juncture, Pakistan had chosen to act swiftly and successfully brought Washington and Tehran “under one roof”. “From the Islamabad talks to the Islamabad memorandum of understanding, many historic steps were taken to bring an end to this serious conflict,” he said. The prime minister, who was speaking at the session for the fourth consecutive year, also appreciated the efforts of Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, saying his “relentless efforts” had helped create space for diplomacy while also hailing the efforts of the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. Shortly before the prime minister's address, Pakistan’s entire delegation arrived at the General Assembly hall. The delegation includes Deputy Prime Minister Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Minister for Investment Affairs Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, Chairman of the Kashmir Affairs Committee Rana Qasim Noon and other staff members. During his stay, the prime minister held meetings with several world and business leaders, including Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and his Lebanese counterpart, where they discussed bilateral ties and opportunities for greater cooperation. He also met with business leaders and intellectuals and discussed investment prospects in Pakistan. Read: Islamabad MoU remains acceptable to Iran, Pezeshkian tells PM Shehbaz in UNGA meet Earlier, addressing the US Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU) and the US-Pakistan Business Council (USPBC), the premier invited US businesses to invest in Pakistan. He pointed to agriculture as the country’s “biggest potential” and highlighted opportunities in mining, information technology, artificial intelligence and infrastructure. Business figures from the IT, AI, finance, beverages, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and organic products sectors attended the meeting. A day earlier, the prime minister met with the Iranian president on the sidelines of the UNGA in New York. PM Shehbaz reaffirmed Pakistan’s readiness to continue playing a “sincere and constructive role” in support of regional peace during a meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The two leaders reaffirmed the close and longstanding ties between Pakistan and Iran and underscored the need to further strengthen bilateral cooperation across all areas of mutual interest. .............. More to follow