Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif 'satisfied' with peace talks; signals next round of negotiations
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif 'satisfied' with peace talks; signals next round of negotiations")
Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif 'satisfied' with peace talks; signals next round of negotiations Photograph: (Credit: AFP)
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif expresses satisfaction over the recent Islamabad negotiations, noting "positive progress" despite the diplomatic deadlock as Pakistan gears up for a potential second round of peace talks.
The first round of talks in Pakistan did not reach a formal agreement on Sunday (Apr 12), and now Defence Minister Khawaja Asif mentions the next round. He said the Iran-US negotiations were expected soon. These comments come after the 21-hour talks held in Islamabad. Even before the talk could start, Iran wanted Israel to stop attacking Lebanon. This clause was mentioned in the initial ceasefire, which included Lebanon, which was even part of the post by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament House, Asif said that there is a sense of satisfaction after the first round of talks, no negative developments so far. As reported by news agency PTI, he said "only positive progress has been observed.” When Asif was asked by news outlet Express Tribune if Pakistan would play a key role in shaping the region's future, he said that ultimate decisions rest with Allah.
The statement comes ahead of the high-stakes meeting in Islamabad. After the US and Iran reached an agreement with Pakistan’s mediation, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has now raised concerns to Islamabad about ceasefire violations" by Israel on Wednesday (Apr 8), a ministry statement noted. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also took note of the situation, mentioning reports of ceasefire violations, a day after brokering peace between the US and Iran.
As Israel continued to strike Lebanon, Foreign Minister Araghchi, Iranian President Pezeshkian, had threatened to withdraw from the ceasefire agreement. The post by Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif mentioned, “With the greatest humility, I am pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere, including Lebanon and elsewhere, effective immediately.”
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Pezeshkian in his statement, the president stated, “The repeated aggression by the Zionist entity against Lebanon is a blatant violation of the initial ceasefire agreement and a dangerous indicator of deceit and lack of commitment to potential accords.” He pointed out how Israel’s renewed attack against Lebanon is a blatant violation of “the initial ceasefire agreement.”
