US congressman praises Pakistan’s role in Washington-Tehran peace efforts

ISLAMABAD: US Congressman Jack Bergman, co-chair of the Congressional Pakistan Caucus, has praised Pakistan’s role in ongoing peace efforts between the United States and Iran, thanking Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir for what he described as their leadership in the process.

Bergman sent a letter dated May 15 to the prime minister and the army chief on official US House of Representatives letterhead. In the letter, he expressed what he called sincere gratitude for their role in the negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

I write as co-chair of the congressional Pakistan Caucus to express my sincere gratitude for the leadership you have both demonstrated in the ongoing peace negotiations between United States and Iran.

Bergman said Pakistan’s contribution had been central to the effort and described the country’s engagement as an example of statesmanship. He also said the relationship between the United States and Pakistan remained strategically important.

Your partnership has been indispensable to that effort.

The United States relationship with Pakistan is of enduring strategic importance, and Pakistan's willingness to leverage its unique position to bring these parties to the table is a demonstration of true statesmanship.

The congressman said President Donald Trump had achieved what earlier US administrations had not, and added that Pakistan’s role had received public recognition in Washington.

The president, the White House, and Congress have recognised as much publicly. I echo those sentiments fully.

You have our deep and lasting gratitude.

I look forward to returning to Pakistan soon and to continuing to strengthen the bond between our two nations in person.

Bergman referred to several occasions on which Trump publicly acknowledged Pakistan’s role through social media posts and public remarks. In one such statement, Trump said:

Pakistan is terrific. Field Marshal Asim Munir is fantastic. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is great. They want to see something happen.

Geo reported that Trump also praised the Pakistani leadership during a telephonic conversation with Fox News, saying Prime Minister Shehbaz and Field Marshal Munir were great people and that he had great respect for them. The same report said Trump frequently refers to Field Marshal Munir as his favourite field marshal after a rapport developed during US efforts to defuse a brief but intense conflict between Pakistan and India last year.

Pakistan has played a facilitative role in contacts between Washington and Tehran amid a conflict that began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, followed by Iranian retaliation against Israel and other regional countries hosting US assets.

Express Tribune reported Pakistan brokered a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran on April 8. Geo reported that the US-Iran ceasefire was announced on April 8, while another related report in the provided material said a ceasefire announced on April 9 largely halted the fighting. The reports also said talks involving senior delegations from both countries were held in Islamabad on April 11 and 12.

Geo said Pakistan persuaded the leadership of Iran and the United States to engage in dialogue for the first time since 1979. Express Tribune reported that despite the Islamabad talks, the two sides did not reach a final agreement and have since continued exchanging proposals and counter-proposals in an effort to find common ground and resume direct talks.

Express Tribune further reported, citing sources, that there had been no significant change in Iran’s earlier position on the nuclear issue in its response to US proposals delivered through Islamabad last week. Those sources said Tehran’s response focused mainly on an immediate end to hostilities, with little in it in terms of Washington’s core demand about Iran’s nuclear programme. Iran had proposed broader and separate talks on the nuclear issue, citing its complexity, while reiterating its willingness to halt uranium enrichment for five years and rejecting a US demand for a 20-year moratorium.