Foreign Office rejects media reports on Pakistan brokered peace talks

Islamabad: Pakistan's Foreign Office has denied several media reports that had claimed Pakistan’s behind-the-scenes effort to facilitate contact between the United States and Iran had come close to producing a breakthrough on two occasions, but both attempts according to the reports had collapsed at the final stage. These reports were attributed to a senior government official familiar with the diplomatic engagements who had apparently spoken on background.

Later, a statement by the Foreign Office (FO) said: “We have noted several reports in the media, including on social media, citing so-called official government sources regarding the ongoing conflict in the region and Pakistan’s efforts to promote peace and dialogue.”

The statement added: “We categorically reject these false insinuations attributed to purported official sources as baseless and a figment of imagination. Any attribution to official sources in this regard is incorrect.

“It is a matter of concern that the briefing held on Friday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been misrepresented, with references to issues that were neither discussed nor alluded to.”

The FO said at a time of heightened regional sensitivity, diplomacy requires both discretion and responsibility. “We therefore urge all media platforms to exercise due diligence, avoid speculation, and rely exclusively on officially issued statements and media readouts for accurate and timely information.”

Media Reports

Earlier according to several media reports a government official had disclosed that a senior US delegation headed by Vice President JD Vance had twice been prepared in recent days to travel to Islamabad for direct talks with Iranian representatives. However, Tehran asked for more time for internal consultations and eventually chose not to take part.

The US delegation, led by their Vice President, was ready to depart for Islamabad in the last few days,

the official said.

We were very close. twice within the last ten days, to hosting a critical meeting. Unfortunately, on both occasions, Iran reconsidered and did not send its team.

According to the official, Islamabad has been trying to present itself as a neutral venue for dialogue as tensions between Washington and Tehran have intensified. The effort is part of Pakistan’s wider push to reduce regional tensions following increased hostilities after US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets.

The official said the United States had shown willingness to engage, while Iran appeared more hesitant and was assessing the risks of entering talks in the current environment.

Let me say, we were a bit disappointed with the Iranian response,

the official said.

Their concerns regarding the United States are understandable, given the recent developments, but diplomacy should always be given a chance especially at such a critical juncture.

Planned Tehran visit did not go ahead

The official also said that before the latest escalation, Pakistan had considered direct engagement with Iran at the highest level. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the country’s top military leadership had been ready to travel to Tehran for talks with Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who the official said had since been assassinated in the conflict.

That visit, however, did not take place. Iranian authorities, citing security concerns, informed Pakistan that a meeting with the Supreme Leader would not be possible under the prevailing circumstances, prompting Islamabad to postpone the trip.

Riyadh meeting and Pakistan’s objections

The official said Pakistan’s diplomatic role has extended beyond mediation. Its criticism of Israel’s actions, the official added, was not well received by some Gulf states.

At a meeting in Riyadh on March 19, where foreign ministers from 12 Muslim countries gathered to discuss the worsening regional situation, the official said Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar were in a bilateral meeting when Fidan received a call from his Iranian counterpart. Dar later joined the conversation, during which Abbas Argachi urged both countries to ensure that the joint statement from the meeting would not be one-sided or excessively critical of Iran.

The official said this exchange took place at a time of heightened tension, with sirens reportedly sounding in Riyadh amid fears of possible Iranian retaliatory strikes.

During the meeting that followed, a draft statement was circulated which, according to Pakistani officials, placed most of the blame for the escalation on Iran. Islamabad objected to that wording, arguing that it did not address what it viewed as the root causes of the crisis, particularly Israel’s actions.

Pakistan insisted that any statement must be balanced and must not ignore the underlying issues,

the official said.

After hours of discussion, Pakistan secured changes to the draft, resulting in a final statement that the official described as more balanced and less accusatory. The official added that some countries were unhappy with Islamabad’s position and saw it as too sympathetic to Iran.

Hormuz proposals and UK-hosted meeting

The official said Pakistan has also taken a cautious line on security proposals that could deepen tensions. Islamabad opposed any initiative that might lead to the creation of a multinational task force in the Strait of Hormuz, which some viewed as potentially provocative.

The same approach, the official said, was behind Pakistan’s decision not to attend a recent UK-hosted meeting on steps to restore normal maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.