ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan has said it is closely monitoring the situation in Iran and wants a peaceful resolution to the issue, reaffirming its commitment to playing a role for peace and stability in the region.
Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi, while speaking at the weekly briefing, said Pakistan supports a peaceful solution to the Iran issue and will continue to play its role for peace.
"Pakistan stands by peace and stability in Iran and hopes the country will soon overcome its current crisis," he continued.
He said Pakistan attached great importance to Iran, both as a neighbouring country and as an important player of the international community and an important member of the global fraternity.
“Pakistan hopes that peace and stability will prevail, and we reaffirm our support for all efforts aimed at a peaceful resolution of the situation,” he added.
The spokesperson said that the protests were “triggered by economic hardships faced by the Iranian people, which have been compounded by international sanctions”.
“So, we sincerely hope that the livelihood and financial support measures announced by the Iranian government for the masses will help alleviate the hardship faced by the people, and we offer our best wishes towards that endeavour,” Andrabi said.
US VISA SUSPENSION
Spokesperson Andrabi said that Pakistan has seen reports regarding restrictions on US visas and is in contact with American authorities on the matter.
“The United States is reviewing its visa policy, and we hope that visas for Pakistan will be restored soon,” he said, adding that Pakistan remains in contact with US authorities regarding immigration policies.
“The US State Department made a brief statement on social media regarding an ongoing internal review of its immigrant visa processing,” he said.
“We’re in contact with US authorities to get more information. This is a developing story that we are closely monitoring.”
He added, “We understand that this is part of a broader review of US immigration policies and procedures, and we hope that the regular processing of immigrant visas will resume soon.”
The suspension of visa processing could disrupt travel, educational, and employment plans for thousands of Pakistanis who apply for US visas each year. Pakistani consulates in the US are expected to provide further guidance to impacted applicants in the days ahead.
This freeze is tied to the US public-charge rule, which assesses whether immigrants are likely to depend on government assistance. While visa service suspensions have occurred before, officials have described the scale of this particular action as unprecedented.
Although no specific timeline has been provided for the resumption of visa services, the State Department has assured that countries will be notified once the review is completed.