NEW YORK: Pakistan’s push to broker dialogue between Washington and Tehran appeared to be gathering pace on Wedne­sday, with diplomatic sou­rces suggesting a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, could be on the cards today (Thursday).

Meanwhile, PM Sheh­baz’s address to the UN General Assembly has been rescheduled to 12.30am (Pakistan time) on Friday.

The anticipated engagement with the Iranian president comes as Isla­m­abad continues efforts to bring US and Iran back to the negotiating table.

Diplomatic sources say Qatar is handling the immediate shuttle diplomacy between the US and Iran in New York, while Pakistan is working through a parallel channel with Tehran as regional efforts intensify to keep the latest diplomatic contacts from collapsing.

The distinction has emerged from reporting by US and international media on the renewed US-Iran contacts around the United Nations General Assembly, with Qatar and Pakistan both involved in efforts to keep communication open between Washington and Tehran.

The two countries, however, appear to be operating through different but connected channels.

Qatar has been directly involved in the New York shuttle, with US special envoy Steve Witkoff saying mediators “shuttled between” the American and Iranian delegations during lengthy discussions on Tuesday.

Qatar has also acknowledged working with Pakistan to reduce tensions between Washington and Tehran and to promote dialogue.

Separately, PM Shehbaz met International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on the sidelines of the assembly. The prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the IMF-supported reform programme, citing progress in fiscal discipline, tariff regimes, and privatisation as the country transitions toward economic recovery despite regional turmoil.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2026