Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday tabled the three-page US-Iran agreement in the National Assembly, stating that phase two would involve technical discussions on nuclear matters, sanctions and frozen assets, and Lebanon. Addressing the NA session, Dar said placing the document on record alongside the June 22 joint communique issued by the United States, Iran, Qatar, and Pakistan was necessary because the document had been "considerably misunderstood" and misquoted.
Document Placed on Record
Dar emphasized that every page of the agreement bore initials, with the third page fully signed. The foreign office had also uploaded the communiqué to its website. "All agreed to it, and its copy was also placed by our foreign office on their website, so that colleagues who need to see what the outcome was, what the roadmap is, how to move forward, I will also place the copy, the one issued by all four countries from Switzerland on June 22, on the record for the foreign office, so that any member of the NA or Senate may see it," he said.
21-Hour Negotiating Session
Dar detailed how the agreement came together, revealing that a breakthrough occurred after a 21-hour negotiating session on April 10 and 11. The session ran through six rounds, with breaks taken not for rest but for consultation, continuing until Fajr. "I pay tribute to both parties," he added, noting that they agreed to sit at the same table on the condition that Pakistan, their mutually chosen mediator, also be present.
The US delegation comprised Vice President JD Vance, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner. Iran was represented by Senior Speaker Bagher Ghalibaf and two other senior officials, including a National Security Council secretary. "Pakistan's delegation was led by me, alongside the Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir and the DG ISI," Dar said.
Stalemate and Persistence
After those talks stalled, with both sides needing to refer back to their respective leaderships, Dar said serious apprehensions emerged that the process might not reach a conclusion. He credited PM Shehbaz, Field Marshal Munir, and the foreign office for persisting. "They did not give up. Hope was not given up," he said.
A regional forum comprising Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkiye became "proactively engaged," holding meetings in Riyadh on March 19, then in Antalya, in Islamabad on March 29, and most recently in Egypt.
Electronic Signing and Ceremony
Dar revealed that the agreement was originally to be signed physically in Geneva on June 19 at the Intercontinental hotel, with arrangements already in place. However, on the night of June 18, a sudden development changed the sequence. President Trump, in France for the G7 summit, decided to sign electronically on the sidelines of the forum. The document was then transmitted to Iran, and President Pezeshkian signed it. PM Shehbaz then signed as mediator on Pakistan's behalf.
The physical ceremony was subsequently relocated to Burgenstock in Switzerland, held at a property owned by the Qatar Investment Authority at the request of the US and Qatar. Parleys there on Sunday and Monday, involving all four parties, produced the June 22 joint communique.
Discretion and Trust
Dar mentioned that Pakistan ensured discretion during the entire process. "As a true and honest mediator, we were a trusted party, we treated this as a matter of trust, we did not lean toward one side or the other, we did not allow anything to become public," he said. Regarding the foreign office, he added, "When they said to me, 'give us a copy of the latest draft,' I said, 'until both parties give permission, you cannot share Pakistan's document.'"
Two-Phase Agreement
Dar said the agreement was structured in two phases. The first phase, aimed at resolution, had already produced visible consequences. He noted that for approximately three weeks, the government had absorbed rising fuel prices rather than passing them on, with special instructions issued to the finance ministry. After three weeks, prices began to be passed on, and four chief ministers were called to decide on a special subsidy for public transport in Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Phase two would involve technical discussions on three issues: nuclear matters, sanctions and frozen assets, and Lebanon, which he said had "been a source of real problem." He noted that Israel attacked Lebanon again just as the agreement was nearly finalised, delaying negotiations by two days before a fresh Lebanon-Israel ceasefire allowed the process to resume.
Economic Impact
On the economic impact, Dar said prices had already come down, the US naval blockade had ended, and Iran had removed all fees, additional charges, permits, and permissions.
Pakistan's Diplomatic Standing
Turning to Pakistan's broader diplomatic standing, Dar told the house that at a recent diplomatic forum, the US had officially stated that "Pakistan has become, by the role it has performed in this US-Iran dispute, something unimaginable, and Pakistan has become a net security provider to this region." He said this was a country that only a few years ago had been called diplomatically isolated, and that today "Pakistan has become what used to be called a terrorist country, today it is being remembered as a peacemaker."
Role of China
On China, Dar said, "I will be failing in my duty if I don't recognise the role of China." On March 31, China's foreign minister invited him for a one-day visit during which Pakistan and China jointly announced a five-point peace initiative calling for the Strait of Hormuz to be kept free from any tolls or restrictions and restored to its pre-28 February status. The announcement drew calls from foreign ministers across multiple capitals. "I received dozens of calls from foreign ministers in various capitals. Europe supported it," Dar said.
Neutrality and Regional Ties
Throughout the process, Pakistan had maintained strict neutrality as mediator, refusing to share documents even with close allies. "Even Saudi Arabia, who were particularly involved, we did not give it to them either," he said. Dar also referenced the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement signed with Saudi Arabia in September 2025, saying Pakistan had kept Iran informed of the sovereign pact throughout.
The foreign minister also noted that Iran had conveyed to Pakistan that "when difficult times came, we saw what a friend is, and Pakistan fulfilled the obligations of friendship." He concluded by saying the credit belonged to PM Shehbaz's leadership, Field Marshal Munir, and the Foreign Ministry, but that the ultimate success was God's.
