ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has been working in a “realistic and optimistic” manner to resolve the conflict between the United States and Iran, official sources said on Saturday, while stressing that “there is no deal until there is a deal”.
As Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Defense Force Chief Marshal Asim Munir concluded their respective visits to West Asia, reports of a second round of talks in Islamabad began to circulate.
It is unclear when the next round of talks will take place.
“As all eyes are on the next round of Islamabad peace talks, it is necessary to remain realistic and positive. However, it must also be understood that a deal is not done until it is reached,” an official source said.
According to sources, since President Trump announced his intention to travel to Islamabad to sign the peace agreement, there has been a frenzy bordering on over-optimism in the media, as if the deal is already complete and only remains to be signed.
“Such reporting stems either from a lack of understanding of the current status of negotiations or from the complexity of the conflict and decades of hostility between the warring parties,” he said.
He added that Pakistan played a huge role as a mediator in the peace process and achieved the impossible by bringing the warring parties in the same room for direct dialogue, but it must be clearly understood that while tremendous progress has been made, “the work is not yet done”.
Another official said the process, which requires step-by-step, point-by-point negotiation, messaging and agreement, is an unimaginably cumbersome process that requires time, a lot of patience and a mediator trusted by both parties.
He added: “That is exactly what is happening and while both sides have reached agreement on most issues, the negotiation process on the more contentious issues is still ongoing.”
Officials say Pakistan remains hopeful and committed to a positive outcome, but ultimately, the warring sides must agree to the terms.
They also warn people to be wary of the ghosts of family compulsion and the role of vandals, who they say are also always lurking in the shadows.
However, sources confirmed that Pakistan remains the key mediator and Islamabad remains the preferred location for a deal to be signed if it is signed.
Pakistan has begun preparations to host a second round of high-stakes talks between the United States and Iran next week, officials said on Friday.
The United States and Iran held rare direct talks in Pakistan last week aimed at ending the conflict, but the talks ended without an agreement.
The ceasefire between the United States and Iran expires on April 22.
This article was generated from automated news agency feeds without modifications to the text.
