Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Asim Munir held a bilateral meeting with the US negotiating team, led by Vice President JD Vance, ahead of the highly anticipated talks in Switzerland’s Burgenstock resort on Sunday, state broadcaster PTV reported.
Delegations from the US, Iran, Qatar, and Pakistan arrived at the venue earlier for ‘technical-level’ talks to iron out details of a Memorandum of Understanding signed between Tehran and Washington to cease hostilities and negotiate a framework to end the war.
Under the agreement, the US and Iran have agreed on a framework to end the war, lift the US blockade of Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The talks between the two parties are set to begin shortly, the Swiss Foreign Ministry said as delegations from the US, Iran, Pakistan and Qatar arrived at the venue.
A senior official of the Prime Minister’s Office told Dawn that a delegation-level meeting of four countries was expected to be held 4pm PKT, where the heads of the delegations are expected to speak. It is not yet confirmed if the Pakistani delegation will return today, the source added.
State broadcaster PTV, which is reporting live from Burgenstock, said that technical-level talks between the US and Iranian delegations could “extend into tomorrow” and that there was no formal timeframe announced yet, and that the discussions would continue for “as long as necessary”.
However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei, speaking to IRNA, said that a one-day session was planned, which is expected to feature bilateral meetings with mediators Pakistan and Qatar in the morning, followed by quadrilateral talks in the afternoon.
The Foreign Office (FO) said that Pakistan will hold bilateral interactions with the participating delegations from Iran, Qatar, Switzerland and the US, to “reaffirm Pakistan’s enduring commitment to dialogue and durable peace in the region”.
Pakistani delegation arrives
The Prime Minister’s Office said PM Shehbaz and his delegation arrived in Zurich earlier on Sunday morning to participate in the talks, after which they travelled to Burgenstock, the venue for the hotly anticipated talks.
State broadcaster PTV reported that the premier was accompanied by Information Minister Ataullah Tarar and other senior government officials. State media also confirmed the arrival of CDF Munir and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi at the Burgenstock resort.
US, Iran teams arrive
US Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s Parliament Speaker and head negotiator of the Iranian side Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also arrived for the talks on implementing the deal.
Vance arrived at Emmen Air Base at 5:59am (08:59 PKT), according to his spokesperson. He had taken off for Switzerland on Saturday, saying negotiators would discuss Iran’s nuclear programme and the Lebanon ceasefire.
“I think we’re going to hopefully make progress on the nuclear issue, make progress on the Lebanon ceasefire issue. Those are the two big things that I think we’re to be focused on,” Vance told reporters before departing from Joint Base Andrews, saying he could only join the talks “for a day or two”.
Vance said the situation in Lebanon was “actually getting better”. “It’s going to be something we’re just going to have to continuously manage to ensure that… Israel and Lebanon are both safe and secure,” he said.
“The big problem is that you have somebody will shoot and then somebody will respond, and you kind of have a chicken and egg problem where you’ve just got to stop the shooting for long enough to get the ceasefire to keep hold.”
US negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were already in Switzerland handling technical elements of the talks, Vance said earlier.
Iran’s delegation, which landed in Switzerland in the early hours of Sunday, arrived at Burgenstock for the talks by early afternoon.
Iran’s official news agency IRNA said the delegation was led by Ghalibaf and included Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Ali Bagheri (Deputy for International Affairs of the Supreme National Security Council Secretariat), Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati, National Iranian Oil Company CEO Hamid Bovard, Deputy FM Kazem Gharibabad and Esmail Baqaei were also part of the team.
PM Shehbaz, CDF Munir depart for talks
In a statement issued in the morning, the FO said PM Shehbaz, accompanied by CDF Munir, left for Bürgenstock to participate in “high-level talks on the implementation of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)”.
In its statement, the FO noted that the talks marked the first formal engagement between the US and Iran since the signing of the Islamabad MoU on June 17.
It confirmed that high-level delegations from the US, Iran and Qatar will be part of the talks.
“Pakistan will continue to support and advance the implementation of the understandings reached between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the US,” the FO affirmed.
“Pakistan’s facilitative role underscores its principled, balanced, and constructive approach throughout the crisis, including hosting earlier rounds of US-Iran talks and sustained diplomatic contacts that culminated in the Islamabad MoU.”
FO announces talks in Switzerland
Earlier on Saturday, the FO announced that technical-level talks will be held in Buergenstock, Switzerland, on Sunday.
“Representatives of the United States and Iran, along with mediators from Pakistan and Qatar, will participate in the discussions,” the FO said.
“Pakistan will continue to facilitate the process in its role as mediator, with a view to advancing the understandings reached under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.”
Speaking to Fox News, JD Vance said negotiations with Iran “are going well”, but that the US “has all the cards”.
Meanwhile, foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei announced that Iran will be sending a delegation to Switzerland, according to remarks carried by the Fars news agency.
“In Switzerland, we intend to press for the fulfilment of the other side’s commitments and clarify how they plan to act on their obligations,” Baghaei was quoted as saying, emphasising that Iran adhered to its side of the agreement, and the United States is “obligated to compel the Zionist regime (Israel) to cease its attacks on Lebanon”.
“If part of the counterpart’s commitments is not implemented, the entirety of the agreement will be jeopardised,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying. “The counterpart must take the necessary measures as soon as possible; otherwise, the agreement will be jeopardised,” he added.
US-Iran deal
The deal, ending more than 100 days of war, has been widely welcomed by the international community.
Once a final agreement is reached on Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the US will also facilitate the release of a $300 billion reconstruction fund supported by regional nations, the deal says.
More to follow.
