ISLAMABAD:
Islamabad on Thursday asked Washington for more details after the United States suspended processing immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries, including Pakistan, but hoped the move would be temporary.
Reacting to the US decision on immigrant visas, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan had taken note of “brief statements by the US State Department on its social media regarding internal review of immigrant visa processing only”.
He stressed that Islamabad was in contact with US authorities for more details and described the situation as “an evolving news story, which we are following.”
The spokesperson stressed that Pakistan understood the measure as part of an internal review of US immigration policies and systems. “We understand that this is an internal process of ongoing review of the United States immigration policies and system and we hope that routine immigrant visa processing will resume soon.”
Answering questions on why India was not included in the list, Andrabi avoided speculation and reiterated that Pakistan was awaiting formal clarification from Washington.
The visa suspension has caused concern among Pakistani applicants and comes despite recent high-level engagement between Islamabad and Washington.
Andrabi rejected suggestions that the development reflected a slowdown or strain in bilateral relations, pointing to the time difference between the two countries and maintaining that overall coordination with the United States remained “efficient.”
In addition to the visa issue, Pakistan is also assessing the implications of President Donald Trump’s announcement to impose a 25 percent tariff on countries and entities doing business with Iran.
Responding to multiple questions on whether Pakistan would be affected, the spokesperson said the announcement was still developing. “This is evolving news,” he said, adding that Pakistan’s trade relations are conducted “in accordance with international trade regulations and international law.”
He stressed that Islamabad remained engaged with US authorities on trade issues and highlighted the recent positive trajectory of bilateral trade talks.
“Pakistan has had very positive trade negotiations with the United States. We hope to culminate successfully in reaching mutually beneficial trade agreements with the American side,” Andrabi said.
Regarding Pakistan’s trade with Iran, estimated at around $3 billion, he maintained that it also followed international norms and that Islamabad would continue to collaborate with both Washington and Tehran on the issue.
Andrabi said Pakistan was “closely following developments related to the situation in Iran” and described Iran as “a neighboring country, an important member of the international community and the global fraternity.”
“As a neighbor, friend and brother country, Pakistan wishes to see a peaceful, stable and prosperous Iran,” he said, stressing that peace and stability in Iran was in Pakistan’s own interest.
He noted the “deep historical, cultural and religious ties” between the two peoples and expressed confidence in Iran’s resilience.
Noting that the recent protests were sparked by economic difficulties “further exacerbated by international sanctions”, the spokesperson said Pakistan hoped that the aid measures announced by the Iranian government would alleviate public hardship.
“We have full confidence in the wisdom of the Iranian people and leadership, rooted in their rich culture, ancient civilization, history and resilience, to address all the challenges facing Iran,” Andrabi said.
He also reiterated a travel warning for Pakistani citizens, urging caution and confirming that the embassy in Tehran was actively assisting nationals, including students who returned safely in recent days.
In the Middle East, Pakistan welcomed the US special envoy’s announcement that the ceasefire in Gaza was moving into a second phase focused on demilitarization, reconstruction and technocratic governance.
Andrabi said Pakistan had remained engaged in the Gaza peace process “as part of the group of Arab-Islamic countries since the beginning of the initiative in September 2025.”
He recalled that Pakistan supported both the Gaza Peace Plan and the subsequent UN Security Council resolution to save civilian lives, maintain the ceasefire, ensure large-scale humanitarian assistance and ensure the withdrawal of occupation forces from Gaza.
Calling the latest announcement a “developing story,” he said Islamabad hoped the next phase would lead to “further stabilization of the situation, an increase in humanitarian assistance and an end to the suffering of the Palestinians.”
At the same time, Pakistan reiterated its long-standing position that any peace process must culminate in a political settlement. Andrabi said Pakistan hoped these efforts would lead to “a credible and time-bound political process, consistent with international legitimacy and relevant UN resolutions to establish an independent, sovereign and contiguous State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.” On the issue of joining a proposed International Stabilization Force for Gaza, he said no decision had been made and the mandate of such a force had not yet been finalized.
