Islamabad, April 22 (Correspondent): At the request of Pakistan’s leadership, US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday an extension of the ceasefire between the United States and Iran. The extension will remain in place until Iranian officials submit a unified proposal and discussions on the matter are concluded.
President Trump shared the announcement on his Truth Social account. He wrote that, based on the fact that the government of Iran is seriously fractured, and upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan, the US has been asked to hold its attack on Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal.
Trump said he has directed the US military to continue the blockade and remain ready and able. He added that he would therefore extend the ceasefire until the proposal is submitted and discussions are concluded, one way or the other.
This announcement comes as the original ceasefire between the US and Iran was set to expire at 4:50 am PST on Wednesday. That ceasefire had been announced on April 8 at Prime Minister Shehbaz’s request, who had also asked Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz for a corresponding period – just hours before Trump’s deadline for bombing Iranian infrastructure and threatening to end “a whole civilisation.”
Following Trump’s announcement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took to his X timeline to express his appreciation. On his personal behalf and on behalf of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, he sincerely thanked President Trump for graciously accepting their request to extend the ceasefire, allowing ongoing diplomatic efforts to take their course.
The Prime Minister wrote that with the trust and confidence reposed in it, Pakistan would continue its earnest efforts for a negotiated settlement of the conflict. He expressed hope that both sides would continue to observe the ceasefire and be able to conclude a comprehensive peace deal during the second round of talks scheduled at Islamabad for a permanent end to the conflict.
A day earlier, on Tuesday, Pakistan had requested both countries to extend the ceasefire and announced that Iran’s official response to participate in the second round of Islamabad Talks was still awaited.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, in a meeting with US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie A. Baker, stressed the need for engagement between the United States and Iran. He urged both sides to consider extending the ceasefire and to give dialogue and diplomacy a chance. Dar underscored Pakistan’s consistent emphasis on dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable means to address challenges and achieve lasting regional peace and stability.
Later, Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar posted on his X account that a formal response from the Iranian side about confirmation of a delegation to attend the Islamabad Peace Talks was still awaited. He noted that Pakistan, as the mediator, is in constant touch with the Iranians and pursuing the path of diplomacy and dialogue.
Calling Iran’s decision to attend the talks before the end of the two-week ceasefire “critical,” Tarar said that Pakistan has made sincere efforts to convince the Iranian leadership to participate in the second round of talks, and these efforts continue.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told Iran’s state TV that there has been “no final decision” on whether to agree to more talks because of “unacceptable actions” by the US, apparently referring to the recent blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
