ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday said Pakistan remains engaged in regional diplomacy to support de-escalation between the United States and Iran following the announced pause in "Project Freedom" in the Strait of Hormuz.

At the weekly press briefing in Islamabad, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had welcomed the timely announcement of a pause in military activity in the Strait of Hormuz and expressed hope that the current momentum will lead to a "lasting agreement" that secures durable peace and stability for the region and beyond.

Marka-e-Haq anniversary

The spokesperson moved on to describe the first anniversary of Marka-e-Haq as a defining moment in Pakistan’s national journey, citing Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s remarks that Pakistan’s response under Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos was "measured, lawful, and in line with the UN Charter."

On May 5, Dar briefed the diplomatic corps on the anniversary, highlighting the military campaign as a symbol of Pakistan’s unity, resilience, and the Armed Forces’ resolve to defend sovereignty, the briefing said.

Regional diplomatic efforts

The spokesperson said Foreign Minister Dar had remained in contact with several counterparts as part of Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach.

On May 4, Dar held a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi regarding the regional situation and Pakistan’s mediation efforts. According to the Foreign Office, the Iranian side appreciated Pakistan’s "constructive and mediation role," while Dar stressed that dialogue remained the only path to peace.

The briefing added that following diplomatic engagements, 22 crew members held aboard the seized Iranian container ship MV Touska were evacuated to Pakistan and later repatriated to Iran in what Islamabad described as a "major confidence-building measure" by the United States.

The spokesperson said Dar also spoke with Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah on May 2, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on May 3, and UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper on May 4.

The Foreign Office also reiterated that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute remained central to regional instability and warned against unilateral actions related to the Indus Waters Treaty.

On Gaza, Pakistan, in a joint statement with Turkiye, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Jordan, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, South Africa and Spain, “condemned in the strongest terms the Israeli assault on the Global Sumud Flotilla,” a civilian humanitarian initiative aimed at highlighting the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Repatriation of nationals

The Foreign Office said Pakistan’s missions abroad facilitated the repatriation of dozens of nationals detained in Cambodia and Uganda, including 54 Pakistanis arrested during a raid on a scam compound in Cambodia and 85 detained in Uganda for unauthorized employment.

Officials said most of those held had already returned home, while Pakistani embassies provided consular access, emergency travel documents, food, water and medical assistance during their detention, and also extended support to Bangladeshi, Nepali and Sri Lankan nationals in similar circumstances.

Maritime rescue operation

The briefing concluded with details of a maritime rescue operation carried out by the Pakistan Navy in the Arabian Sea after the offshore vessel MV Gautam, carrying six Indian and one Indonesian crew member, suffered a technical failure.

Upon receiving the alert from the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Mumbai, Pakistani authorities deployed the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency ship Kashmir to provide the stranded crew with food, medical support, and technical assistance.

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Pakistan highlights mediation efforts, diplomacy at Foreign Office briefing