ISLAMABAD : Evolving into a global pivot for peace, the federal capital on Saturday became the stage for a historic diplomatic breakthrough as Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held a high-stakes meeting with US Vice President JD Vance to kickstart mediation efforts.
The meeting, which signals Islamabad’s emerging role, filling the void of UN and becoming a “world peace center,” saw the Prime Minister hosting a high-powered American team that included Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Mr. Jared Kushner. On the Pakistani side, the Prime Minister was joined by Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar and Interior Minister Senator Syed Mushtaq Abbas Naqvi.
اسلام آباد مذاکرات کے آج آغاز کے موقع پر، پاکستان کے وزیراعظم محمد شہباز شریف نے امریکہ کے نائب صدر جے ڈی وینس سے ملاقات کی۔
امریکی نائب صدر کے ہمراہ خصوصی ایلچی اسٹیو وٹکوف اور مسٹر جیرڈ کشنر موجود تھے۔وزیراعظم کے ہمراہ نائب وزیراعظم و وزیر خارجہ سینیٹر محمد اسحاق ڈار اور وفاقی… pic.twitter.com/XX757bFPHt— Aatif Khattak (@MalakAatifKhan) April 11, 2026
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Mr. Sharif lauded the commitment of both the US and Iranian delegations to engage in constructive dialogue. He expressed a profound hope that the Islamabad talks would prove to be a milestone toward lasting peace, reiterating Pakistan’s unwavering resolve to facilitate both sides in achieving regional stability.
This high-level engagement with the American delegation follows a day of meticulously choreographed arrivals and separate consultations. Earlier on Saturday, the Iranian delegation—led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi—had also held formal talks with PM Sharif, marking the start of a delicate diplomatic shuttle mission.
The gravity of the day was set by two distinct arrivals at Nur Khan Airbase. In the afternoon, Vice President Vance’s aircraft was escorted into the capital by a formation of PAF fighter jets, where he was received with full state protocol by Field Marshal Asim Munir and Deputy PM Ishaq Dar. This followed the arrival of the Iranian team during the wee hours of Saturday morning, who received an equally significant reception from the Field Marshal and the Deputy Prime Minister.
Despite the optimism radiating from the Prime Minister’s Office, the atmosphere at the venue where the delegations are housed remains charged.
Speaking to Iranian state TV, Mr. Ghalibaf noted that while he entered the talks with good intentions, Tehran remains cautious. Conversely, Vice President Vance signaled a potential shift in the Trump administration’s posture, stating that if the Iranians show good faith, the US is ready to extend the open hand based on clear guidelines set by the President.
As the Islamabad Talks progress, diplomatic correspondents say the city has been placed under a total security lockdown, with the world’s eyes fixed on whether the capital’s evolution into a peace hub will yield the breakthrough the region so desperately needs.
Ghalibaf, Araghchi meet PM Shehbaz as Islamabad holds center stage in ME ceasefire push
