In response to the child sexual abuse case, he says the case was entirely a matter for the British authorities.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi speaking at FO’s weekly press briefing. SCREEN CAPTURE
Pakistan on Thursday renewed its call for restraint amid continuing tensions involving the United States and Iran, warning that further escalation would undermine regional stability and insisting that “there is no alternative to sustained engagement, dialogue and diplomacy.”
Addressing the Foreign Ministry’s weekly press briefing, spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan remained “deeply concerned” about the latest developments in the region and had been actively engaging with regional partners to support de-escalation.
“We emphasize that renewed conflict benefits no one” and urge all parties to avoid actions that could further inflame the situation.
🔴LIVE: Spokesperson’s Weekly Press Conference 16-07-2026 at Ministry of External Affairs, Islamabad
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“There is no alternative to sustained engagement, dialogue and diplomacy,” Andrabi said, adding that disputes can only be resolved “through dialogue at the negotiating tables.”
He said Pakistan would continue to encourage all parties to resume talks at the technical level under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and the June 22 Pakistan-Qatar Joint Statement.
Andrabi said current tensions were already affecting countries outside the region, particularly those in the Global South, citing concerns over trade, food security and global energy supplies. He also expressed hope for a soon return to normality in the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting the importance of protecting freedom of maritime navigation.
The spokesperson said Pakistan had continued to actively engage with regional leaders over the past week in an effort to support de-escalation.
He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in separate telephone conversations with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, had stressed restraint and the need to preserve the fragile peace achieved in recent weeks.
According to Andrabi, the Qatari leader thanked Pakistan for playing “an active role, a leading role for peace in the region”, while President Pezeshkian reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to peace and appreciated Islamabad’s “constructive support” for regional stability.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also held separate calls with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, during which they discussed recent developments and agreed to remain in close contact.
Read: Iran ‘will neutralize US interventions in region’, says army spokesman
Regarding other diplomatic engagements, Andrabi confirmed that Dar had left for Shanghai, where he will sign the founding instrument of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) on behalf of Pakistan.
He said Pakistan would join the China-backed body as a founding member and Dar would also attend the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and hold a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines.
Andrabi also highlighted a number of recent diplomatic engagements, including Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman’s visit to Islamabad, annual bilateral consultations with Portugal and President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit to Kyrgyzstan, the first by a Pakistani president to the Central Asian country in more than two decades.
She said Pakistan had also hosted the 9th OIC Ministerial Conference on Women, attended by delegates from the organization’s 57 member states, and submitted its seventh national report under UN Security Council Resolution 1540, which she said reflected Pakistan’s commitment to international non-proliferation obligations.
During the question and answer session, Andrabi rejected the latest charge sheet filed by India against six leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, including the late Syed Ali Geelani, describing it as another attempt to use “false legal processes” against Kashmiri leaders.
He said the reopening of a case dating back almost three decades demonstrated how India’s legal institutions were being used “to promote a political agenda” and maintained that such actions could not alter “the internationally recognized disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir.”
Andrabi also dismissed India’s allegations linking Pakistan to the Pahalgam attack as “baseless and politically motivated”. He said Pakistan continued to seek an “independent, transparent and credible investigation”, arguing that India had yet to present credible evidence to support its claims.
Responding to a question about a child sexual abuse case in the United Kingdom, Andrabi condemned child sexual abuse “in the strongest possible terms” and said offenders should face the full weight of the law.
He said the case was entirely a matter for British authorities, noting that the individual in question was a British citizen convicted by a UK court. Pakistan, he said, had “no connection to this matter” or any role in decisions regarding the individual’s release or legal status.
