He says he is “hopeful” for a second round of direct talks between the United States and Iran, leading to lasting peace.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described Pakistan’s role in facilitating US-Iran dialogue as a “bright moment in our history”, saying the evolving political-military coordination has helped improve Pakistan’s international image.
He made the comments during an interview with The Sunday Times.
“It is one of the shining moments in our history. Pakistan is recognized globally as an honest mediator and as a country in which the international leadership has full trust and faith. It is our shining hour, and I am a very proud Pakistani, as are 240 million Pakistanis,” he said in the interview published on Saturday night.
The prime minister said he was “hopeful” for a second round of direct talks between the United States and Iran, leading to lasting peace.
“By a stroke of good luck, we have reached this prestigious position,” he said.
“Fortunately, Iran trusts Pakistan, as does the US administration – and so do the Gulf States – and I am grateful to Presidents Trump and Pezeshkian for accepting our invitation,” he added.
The prime minister noted that Pakistan’s efforts for peace were ongoing, adding that “peace is never achieved easily.”
“You have to have patience, sagacity and the ability to move things forward despite the most difficult challenges.
“As we speak, we are still doing everything we can to ensure that this peace effort achieves lasting peace through another session here in Islamabad, and we are hopeful that that will happen,” he said.
“Our international image has completely changed thanks to this association of our political and military hierarchy.”
The Prime Minister praised Defense Forces Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, saying: “What we are seeing are team efforts of the political and military leaders. I must acknowledge that the Field Marshal has played a vital role, which will be recorded in history.”
He also praised the efforts of Deputy Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister Ishaq Dar, who he said had been “engaging his counterparts and making tireless efforts”.
