Tazeen Akhtar | Islamabad
Now we can say that Islamabad Dialogue is going to happen between Iran and US as both teams arrived and soon will be sitting on a table in the presence of mediators of Pakistan.
Iranian team arrived first on the midnight of 10 and 11 April while US team landed today morning.
A high-powered delegation of Iran led by Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf along with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, US delegation led by Vice President H.E. J.D. Vance along with Special Envoy Mr. Steve Witkoff and Mr. Jared Kushner were received by DPM/FM Ishaq Dar along with Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Chief of Defence Forces & Chief of Army Staff Field Marshall Syed Asim Munir and Minister for Interior Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi.
DPM/FM expressed the hope that parties would engage constructively, and reiterated Pakistan’s desire to continue facilitating the parties towards reaching lasting and durable solution to the conflict. Welcoming the US Vice President, the DPM/FM commended US commitment to achieving lasting regional and global peace and stability.
The above mentioned high ups of Pakistan had to welcome Americans two times because Mr. Vance and his other team members arrived in different aircrafts. Vice President uses a separate plane called Air Force 2.
A difference on the part of Field Marshal was observed in the welcome of Iran and US delegates. He was in uniform while recieving Iranian team and in civil suit welcoming the Americans. It was only because American President or VP do not engage with Uniform officials at such occasions only to keep their democratic image intact.
When President Clinton had a stop over in Pakistan enroute India for 5 Days visit, he did not meet the sitting Chief Executive General Musharraf and shook hand with civilian President Rafiq Tarar.
Islamabad Dialogue is being seen as the last effort to restore peace in the region and exonerate the world from economic crisis created with lack of energy feul petroleum due to closure of Hormuz by Iran. Everyone is looking forward to some consensus between US and Iran but the signals show the adverse picture.
Distrust on both sides shrouds the dialogue before its debute and observers fear the talks can be torn apart before they take a start for Iran is pointing out the violations of her 10 points proposals for talks agreed by US have not been met so far when the parties are about to sit at the table.
1- End of Sanctions 2- Control over Hormuz 3-Ceasefire violations in Lebanon 4- Right of Iran for enrichment of Uranium 5- Release of Iran’s freazed assets
Iran’s main negotiator Mr. Ghalibaf has already made it clear that dialogue can be doubtful if these points are not implemented by US before the beginning of the talks.
We in Islamabad are afraid of failure of this ordeal at the end because we know the history of such dialogues between US and Iran. US being a powerful and rich country has always showed rudeness on the matter of negotiations. It was US and the same President when Trump 1 exited from Iran + EU -US dialogue.
Now when everyone is celebrating the ceasefire that does not exists and hailing Islamabad dialogue that is happening in extreme distrust , we can make the readers recall , the dialogue was already going on in the mediation of Oman when US Israel invaded Iran abruptly.
That is the history, keeping in view , there is another opinion, that the dialogue if takes place will bring no solid positive outcome and it will prove to be just a hoodwink and nothing else.
