Pakistan has firmly denied reports suggesting that its efforts to facilitate dialogue between the United States and Iran have stalled, calling such claims baseless and a figment of imagination.
Speaking on Saturday, foreign office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi dismissed media reports that alleged Islamabad's peace initiative had hit roadblocks after an initial exchange of proposals.
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“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,” Andrabi said, as reported by news agency PTI.
“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,” he added.
The clarification comes amid heightened speculation following a closed-door briefing by a senior official from Pakistan's foreign ministry. Andrabi said the controversy stemmed from a misrepresentation of that background interaction, held on Friday, and urged caution in reporting sensitive developments.
“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,” he said.
The reports in question including those by Pakistan-based Dawn and US-based The Wall Street Journal had indicated that while some progress was made in relaying messages between Washington and Tehran, the momentum had slowed due to the absence of a clear response from the Iranian side.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Iran declined to engage with any US-led delegation in Islamabad. Meanwhile, Dawn, citing an official familiar with the matter, reported that despite significant military and civilian losses, Tehran has yet to respond positively to calls for negotiations.
“It is surprising that despite the obliteration of significant naval, air force, and other military and civilian infrastructure, Iran has not responded positively to calls for negotiations,” the report quoted the official as saying.
The same source noted that both Pakistan and China had encouraged Iran to join talks, but “Tehran has so far not conveyed its readiness to take part in the dialogue.”
Despite the reported lack of formal engagement, Pakistani officials maintain that diplomatic outreach remains ongoing. Islamabad is said to be in contact with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as part of continued efforts to de-escalate tensions.
Pakistan had ramped up its mediation push soon after the conflict began, driven in part by regional security concerns and its commitments, including support for Saudi Arabia in the event of escalation.
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