PM hopes to host Islamabad Talks 2.0 ‘very soon’
• Insiders claim premier has received ‘serious indications’ delegation-level talks are on the cards • PMO source says no preparations yet for such a high-level meeting ISLAMABAD: After indications that Tehran and Washington will soon reach an understanding to end the weeks-long war in the Middle East, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday expressed hope for another round of peace talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad “very soon”. Background conversations with sources privy to developments suggested that while Islamabad may yet serve as the venue for another round of talks between the warring sides, there were no immediate signs of preparations for such a high-level event. A source close to PM Shehbaz told Dawn that during his four-day visit to China, the premier had received “serious indications” from the US and Iran regarding delegation-level talks, which could be held soon in Pakistan. However, another source claimed that not received any such indications. “The prime minister is currently in China and no such arrangements are being made here… It seems that next round of dialogue will not take place very soon,” a senior PM Office official told Dawn . Sources said the government will make necessary arrangements for the fresh round of dialogue once the PM returns from China, but there was no confirmation on when these talks might take place. Islamabad hosted the first round of talks between the US and Iran in April, when US Vice President JD Vance arrived for indirect talks with Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Earlier, in a tweet, the PM congratulated US President Donald Trump on his “extraordinary efforts” to pursue peace and for holding a “very useful and productive” telephone call with Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkiye, Egypt, the UAE, and Jordan. The US president, in...
Original source: Dawn Pakistan