Pakistani PM says US-Iran MoU aimed at promoting peace, stability

ISLAMABAD - Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) did not include Iran's ballistic missile program, stressing that the issue "was never on the table" and "never on the agenda" during the negotiations.

Speaking at a joint media stakeout with visiting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian here, Sharif cautioned against any misunderstanding regarding the agreement, saying the MoU was aimed at promoting peace and stability and contained no provisions related to ballistic missile issues.

Sharif welcomed the Iranian president and reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to expanding bilateral cooperation in trade, economic development, infrastructure, reconstruction and regional peace.

"Pakistan and Iran are far more than just neighbors; we are brothers bound together by centuries of shared history, faith, culture and civilizational links," he said, adding that "Iran's success is our success and Iran's loss is our loss."

The prime minister thanked the Iranian leadership for trusting Pakistan's "honest and sincere" mediation efforts, saying the signing of the Islamabad MoU had helped end a conflict that could have engulfed the wider region and led to the first technical-level talks in Burgenstock, Switzerland.

Sharif offered condolences over the loss of lives in the recent conflict and praised President Pezeshkian's leadership.

He also thanked Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt for supporting the peace process, and acknowledged the contributions of Pakistan's military and diplomatic leadership.