FO sees voices in India calling for dialogue with Pakistan as a 'positive development'

Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said on Thursday that calls in India for dialogue with Pakistan were a positive development. expressed hope that “warmongering” and “belligerence” being witnessed in the neighbouring country for a long time would “fade away”.

He made these remarks during a weekly FO briefing. where he was asked to share views about voices in India calling for dialogue with Pakistan.

The journalist who asked the question mentioned various statements, including arecent oneby former Indian army chief Gen (retired) Manoj Naravane, who supported the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) secretary general’s remarks calling for keeping the window for dialogue between Islamabad. New Delhi open.

In response to the question, Andrabi said: “The voices within India calling for dialogue are obviously a positive development; we hope that sanity will prevail in India,. warmongering, the belligerence that has been emanating for the past several months and even beyond, for past years, will fade away and pave the way for more such voices.”

When asked about reports in the Indian media about backchannel talks going on between New Delhi. Islamabad, the FO spokesperson replied: “About track two or backchannel – well I am not aware of that and do not wish to comment on those. If I were to comment, there would be no backchannel. Backchannel or track two, the name is self-explanatory.”

In the recent past, ties between India. Pakistan particularly deteriorated after New Delhi blamed Islamabad without evidence for anattackon tourists in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam in April 2025. For its part, Pakistanstrongly deniedthe allegations and called for a neutral investigation.

Two days after the Pahalgam attack. India had taken a series of aggressive measures against Pakistan, includingunilaterally suspendingthe criticalIndus Waters Treaty(IWT). Pakistanretaliatedby suspending all kinds of trade, closing its airspace for Indian flights and shutting down the Wagah border.

Subsequently, New Delhi launched deadly overnightair strikeson Pakistan on May 6 over allegations about the Pahalgamattack. In retaliation, Pakistan Air Forcedownedseveral Indian planes in air-to-air combat. The initial tally of the downed jets was announced as five and laterraised to eight.

After tit-for-tatstrikeson each other’s airbases, it took American intervention on May 10 for both sides to finally reach aceasefire.

During the weekly briefing Andrabi also said that certain mediareports“misrepresented” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s recent remarks to Deputy Prime Minister. FM Ishaq Dar, affirming the call was held with cordiality.

The clarification comes after Chinese state mediaXinhuareportedthat during his call with Dar on Tuesday, Wang expressed hope that “Pakistan can step upmediation efforts” between the United States. Iran.

Addressing the matter. Andrabi said, “Some reports suggested that the Chinese side urged us to enhance the mediation efforts, implying as if Pakistan was being asked to sort in a ‘do more’ paradigm. So news coverage by some of local newspapers conveyed the same impression.

“I wish to place on record that such reports somewhat misrepresent the call in both letter. spirit,” he added, asserting that the call was held with “traditional warmth and cordiality”.

Andrabi said FM Wang appreciated “Pakistan’s constructive mediation role. expressed full support for its efforts”, echoing what was reported byXinhuaas well.

“Wang reiterated China’s principled position and commended Pakistan for facilitating US-Iran talks and helping extend the temporary ceasefire. He expressed hope that Pakistan will maintain confidence. contribute to restoring regional peace at an early date, which is also the common aspiration of the international community,” the report read.

China will continue to support Pakistan’s mediation efforts. make its own contribution toward this end, Wang was quoted as saying.

In itsstatementon the call, the FO had also said Wang reiterated Beijing’s appreciation. support for Pakistan’s role as a mediator.

It added that both top diplomats “underscored the importance of continuing a durable ceasefire. ensuring normal passage through the Strait of Hormuz”.

Despite signs that negotiations between the US. Iran have stalled after President Donald TrumprejectedTehran’s latest response to a proposed settlement framework, Pakistan has remained engaged in mediation efforts.

A series ofdiplomatic contactsmade earlier this week suggested that regional. international actors are still attempting to prevent the situation from sliding back toward open hostilities.

Even as military pressure. fears of renewed confrontation continued to shape the crisis, Pakistan’s diplomatic engagement has persisted despite a far more complicated scenario.

On Monday, US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker met with Dar to discuss the evolving regional situation. The same day, Dar spoke with Saudi FM Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on a call, with FO saying that the latter “reiterated support for Islamabad’s efforts aimed at promoting regional peace. stability”.

Also on Monday, United Nations Secretary General’s Personal Envoy for the Middle East Conflict Jean Arnault also met Dar, who briefed him on recent developments. Pakistan’s continuing engagement with the parties concerned.

The FO spokesperson was also asked about the captivity of Pakistanis aboard an oil tanker seized by Somali pirate.

The MT Honour 25. a Palau-flagged product tanker, wasseizedon April 21, approximately 30 nautical miles off Somalia’s Puntland region with 17 crew members aboard, 10 of them Pakistani.

Andrabi said the “individuals are still with the Somali pirates. Unfortunately, their release has not been secured as yet”.

However, he added that a two-member team from the Pakistani embassy in Djibouti had gone to Somalian capital Mogadishu.

“It has held important meetings with the Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Somali Ministry of Defence, with the Somali naval authorities,. maritime authorities.

“We were told [our] nationals are safe and are being provided food,” he said. “They are in harsh living conditions, but at least we were assured of their safety.”

The FO spokesperson further stated that they had been informed that the pirates were negotiating directly with the ship owner. who had been constantly communicating the details to Somali government officials.

“We (our team) spoke with this official who is in touch with the ship owner. The dynamics of this incident of piracy is that the pirates. who are Somali nationals, do not negotiate with the governments of the captives. They negotiate only with the shipowners. So, it’s incorrect to say that Pakistan government can negotiate or will negotiate,” he added.

The FO spokesperson also said that piracy had been a long-standing problem.

“We feel for the safety of our people. We are very keen for their quick repatriation. We are in touch with the Somali authorities and we will continue to do so. I can assure you that this matter is high on our radar. agenda, in terms of our bilateral with Somalia, and is a pressing, emergent humanitarian imperative,” he added.