Speaking at a weekly media briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between Tehran and Washington were continuing despite the recent escalation in the region.

“There is no end to the peace process. It may face temporary setbacks, but efforts for peace continue,” Andrabi said, expressing hope that diplomacy would ultimately prevail over confrontation.

He said the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) remained an effective and relevant framework for restoring dialogue between the two sides.

“The Islamabad MoU has neither lapsed nor become ineffective. It remains a viable framework, and when the parties choose to move away from confrontation, it can once again serve as the basis for peace negotiations,” he said.

Andrabi reiterated that Pakistan’s position remained unchanged, stressing that Islamabad continued to support the peaceful resolution of disputes through dialogue and diplomacy.

The spokesperson said Pakistan would continue urging all sides to step away from violence and return to the negotiating table, in line with the June 2026 Pakistan-Qatar Joint Communiqué.

The spokesperson condemned armed attacks against any country and reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states.

He also underscored Pakistan’s support for the uninterrupted flow of international trade and energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, warning that prolonged instability in the Middle East could disrupt global energy markets, trade routes and food security, with developing countries likely to bear the greatest impact.

Expressing concern over the renewed tensions between Iran and the United States, Andrabi said Pakistan was closely monitoring the evolving situation and would continue its diplomatic engagement to help reduce tensions.

Highlighting recent diplomatic contacts, he said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, visited Qatar on July 13 to convey condolences and express solidarity with the Qatari leadership.

He added that on July 10, Prime Minister Shehbaz separately spoke with the Qatari leadership and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, urging all parties to exercise maximum restraint and avoid further escalation.

According to Andrabi, the Qatari leadership appreciated Pakistan’s constructive role in promoting regional peace.

During the briefing, the spokesperson also strongly condemned India’s filing of charge sheets against Hurriyat leaders in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), saying New Delhi could not suppress the voices of Kashmiris through politically motivated cases.

Rejecting India’s allegations against Pakistan over the Pahalgam incident, Andrabi said New Delhi had failed to present any credible evidence and was relying solely on political rhetoric.

Responding to another question, he said ensuring the safety and security of Chinese nationals residing in Pakistan remained a top priority, adding that Islamabad maintained close coordination with Beijing on the matter.

Commenting on a child sexual abuse case in the United Kingdom involving British national Shabbir Hussain, Andrabi condemned the crime but said the matter fell within the UK’s legal jurisdiction and had no legal connection with the Government of Pakistan.