Islamabad: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar welcomed Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Islamabad on Monday, acknowledging Iran’s diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between Pakistan and India following the Pahalgam attack.
During a joint press briefing after a key meeting at the Foreign Office, Ishaq Dar said Pakistan appreciates Tehran’s constructive role in de-escalating regional tensions. He also provided his Iranian counterpart with a detailed briefing on the Pahalgam incident, emphasising that Pakistan had no involvement in the attack, which resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir.
The Iranian foreign minister described his talks with Ishaq Dar as “useful,” noting that their discussion centred on three key areas, including the overall regional situation and the state of India-Pakistan relations. Araghchi is scheduled to visit New Delhi after Islamabad to further pursue mediation efforts.
Responding to a question, Ishaq Dar also welcomed the ongoing dialogue between Iran and the United States, terming it a positive development for regional peace.
Iran is the latest in a growing list of international actors engaging diplomatically to defuse the situation. Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, urging India to resolve issues with Pakistan through diplomatic channels rather than military escalation.
China and Türkiye have already reaffirmed their support for Pakistan’s call for restraint and a neutral investigation into the Pahalgam incident. Meanwhile, the European Union’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, along with the foreign ministers of Switzerland and Greece, also emphasized the importance of dialogue over confrontation.
Tensions escalated sharply after the Pahalgam attack, with India accusing Pakistan of involvement—allegations Islamabad has categorically rejected, calling it a “false flag” operation aimed at political manipulation ahead of Indian elections.
In response to India’s diplomatic aggression—including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and orders for Pakistani diplomats to leave by April 30—Pakistan restricted India’s diplomatic presence to 30 personnel and closed the Wagah border.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has since called for an independent international investigation into the Pahalgam incident, reaffirming Pakistan’s full cooperation, but India has refused to engage, continuing its aggressive rhetoric.
