By Nayyer Khawaja
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will implement its commitments “in full earnest” as a signatory to the Saudi-led multinational maritime defence coalition established to protect shipping and energy supply routes in the Red Sea region, the Foreign Office said on Wednesday.
FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said in a weekly briefing, Pakistan had endorsed the joint statement supporting the maritime defence coalition and was currently engaged with Saudi authorities regarding its implementation. His statement came a day after three Pakistani sailors were killed in Houthi strikes on a Saudi cargo vessel.
The coalition was announced by Riyadh last month, with 14 countries, including Pakistan, Türkiye and Egypt, backing a joint statement in support of efforts to safeguard maritime and energy routes in the Red Sea.
Andrabi said that, on the instructions of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Pakistan was also examining the details and commitments contained in the agreement.
Mohsin Naqvi’s Iran visit
The Foreign Office said Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s visit to Tehran was aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and discussing security matters and regional developments, particularly efforts to promote peace and stability.
Naqvi, who arrived in Tehran on Tuesday, held meetings with senior Iranian officials. He was received by his Iranian counterpart, Eskandar Momeni, and later met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and President Masoud Pezeshkian.
According to diplomatic sources, a key objective of the visit was to follow up on the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and Pakistan’s mediation efforts between Iran and the United States.
Andrabi said Pakistan remained engaged with “brotherly states” in sincere efforts to help resolve the US-Iran crisis. He said Islamabad was making every possible effort to bring the two sides back to the negotiating table and use the Islamabad MoU as a framework for advancing peace and stability.
He added that Pakistan would continue efforts through direct and indirect channels to counter spoilers and maintain constructive dialogue aimed at resolving outstanding issues.
Islamabad MoU deadline
Commenting on the 60-day period for US-Iran negotiations under the Islamabad MoU, Andrabi said the current deadline of August 17 could be extended if there was a genuine willingness to continue dialogue.
“Five days still remain, so we are not closing the chapter,” he said, expressing hope that the deadline could eventually be extended and the parties would return to negotiations.
The spokesperson said Pakistan remained optimistic about the possibility of a solution because it was acting as a mediator and facilitator.
He observed that during the conflict, periods of escalation had repeatedly been followed by relative calm and dialogue, describing this as a natural progression in major international armed conflicts.
Pakistan, he added, would continue its engagement with optimism and sustained diplomatic efforts to facilitate a peaceful resolution.
Makkah defence agreement
The Foreign Office also highlighted the defence agreement recently signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye in Makkah, describing it as a major development of the week.
The joint defence agreement, signed last Friday, aims to strengthen collective deterrence and provides that an attack against one of the three signatories would be treated as an attack against all.
Andrabi said the agreement demonstrated the three countries’ commitment to strengthening collective security and promoting peace and stability in the region and beyond.
He said the pact reflected the “long-standing brotherly relations” between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye and demonstrated their resolve to share the burden of regional peace and security.
The spokesperson stressed that the agreement was “purely defensive in nature” and designed to enable unified efforts to address threats and security challenges facing the member states.
He said the agreement was open to other countries, although he was not aware of which specific states might join in the future.
Andrabi also said he was not aware of consultations with the United States or China regarding the agreement, describing such matters as part of diplomatic exchanges. However, he noted that Pakistan’s communication channels with both countries remained open.
Pakistan rejects India’s AJK remarks
The Foreign Office rejected recent remarks by India’s Ministry of External Affairs concerning alleged human rights violations in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, describing the Indian statement as “baseless”.
Andrabi said India’s professed concern over human rights in AJK was disingenuous in view of what Pakistan described as its well-documented record of repression in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, including excessive use of force, arbitrary detention, suppression of political freedoms and the use of stringent laws.
He said India’s politicisation of developments in AJK was misleading and could not divert attention from what Pakistan termed the realities in IIOJK.
“Pakistan remains fully committed to the protection of fundamental rights and the democratic freedom of AJK,” he said.
The spokesperson further urged India to honour commitments attributed to its founding leaders and uphold the right of the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir to freely determine their future through a United Nations-backed plebiscite in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
