Washington DC [US], March 31 : Pakistan's Ambassador to the US, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, in an interview with Fox News has said that the efforts to facilitate US-Iran peace talks are underway, but cautioned that the process will be complex and time-consuming.
Speaking on the network's programme "Special Report", Sheikh highlighted initial confidence-building measures as a step towards negotiations.
"And in terms of the who exactly dealing part we are dealing with is the fact that the confidence-building measure demonstrated in movement of ships that were allowed, eight in the first instance and now another twenty in the second instance, is not just a concept of operation, but a proof of concept that has been implemented to induce confidence in the system, which has to be a prerequisite for commencement of the actual negotiation procedure, but contacts are in place, " he said.
He underscored the difficulties posed by conditions inside Iran, noting disruptions caused in the communication channels by the ongoing conflict.
"Let's look at the fact that Iran is a war-torn country with the communication channels certainly disrupted, and it is not even easy to get responses in a good time from the system that currently is in place there. So you would have noticed that these deadlines have been extended in the past, in recent past, and we are working religiously with regard to the current deadline," he said.
The ambassador added that while Pakistan is playing a facilitating role, the responsibility for successful negotiations ultimately lies with the "conflicting" parties involved.
"The process will take its own due course, and while Pakistan continues to be the facilitator, it is actually upon the conflicting parties themselves to not only create the prerequisites for negotiations and to be able to conduct them in all earnest, but they will have to take the decisions which make it successful," he said.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump claimed that indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran, facilitated by Pakistani intermediaries, are making "positive progress".
Speaking about the ongoing backchannel diplomacy, Trump said talks are underway through Pakistani "emissaries", though he declined to provide specific details when asked whether a ceasfire deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could be reached in the coming days.
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