Iran-US talks in Islamabad held via indirect, direct channels: sources

Vartha Bharati | 12-04-2026 | 11:45:00 IST

Photo: PTI

Islamabad (PTI): The Iran-US peace talks were conducted first indirectly through Pakistan and later through direct negotiations between the two sides, official sources said on Sunday.

Pakistan remained involved at every stage of the process, with the talks beginning with separate meetings of the US and Iranian delegations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday.

This was followed by an exchange of messages between the two sides through Pakistani interlocutors, the sources said.

The Iranian delegation was led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqir Galibaf, while the US team was headed by Vice President JD Vance.

According to sources, the negotiations then moved to direct talks between the visiting delegations, which continued for about two-and-a-half hours in the presence of Pakistani officials.

In the next phase, a one-hour break was taken and technical aspects of the demands presented by the two sides were discussed at the expert level. The exchange of messages on technical aspects continued until late at night.

However, by Sunday morning, it became clear that the differences could not be bridged, leading US Vice President JD Vance to announce at a brief press conference that the talks ended without a deal.

The sources said Pakistan remains hopeful of further rounds of talks, though no date or venue has been finalised so far.

The Pakistani government had earlier said it would continue to play its role as a mediator and expressed hope that the talks would prove to be a step towards resolving the dispute.

The Iranian delegation had arrived in Islamabad on Friday night, while the US team arrived on Saturday morning.

The US side also included President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, while Iran was also represented by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other senior leaders.

The two sides travelled to Islamabad, days after Iran and the US announced a two-week ceasefire on April 8. It was the first direct, high-level engagement between Iran and the US since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The failure to arrive at an agreement following the face-to-face negotiations between the two sides raised doubts over the effectiveness of their fragile two-week ceasefire as well as the prospect of reopening the Strait of Hormuz to stabilise the global energy market.

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Derek O'Brien attacks govt over ‘devious intentions’ behind women’s quota delimitation

12-04-2026 ¦ 12-04-2026 IST

Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien (PTI)

New Delhi (PTI): Trinamool Congress leader in Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien on Saturday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah, accusing them of "mocking Parliament" and indulging in political theatrics ahead of the upcoming elections.

His remarks come against the backdrop of a special three-day sitting of Parliament scheduled from April 16 to 18, during which the government is expected to take up legislation related to the implementation of women's reservation in legislatures, and also delimitation to increase the number of seats in Lok Sabha to enforce the quota.

"Amit and Narendra, this is not the Gujarat Gymkhana Club. Stop mocking Parliament and the people of our nation," O'Brien said in a statement.

"Stop the drama and stunts before Bengal and Tamil Nadu elections. Your intentions are devious," the Rajya Sabha MP said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday wrote to floor leaders of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, urging them to support the amendments to the women's reservation law during the special three-day session of Parliament.

"...the time has now come to implement the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam in its true spirit across the country. It is imperative that the 2029 Lok Sabha elections and Assembly elections are conducted with women's reservation in place," the Prime Minister said in his letter.

The Union Cabinet has cleared draft bills to operationalise the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. The proposed changes include increasing the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to 816 seats, with 273 seats reserved for women.

The legislative package is expected to include a Constitution amendment bill to modify provisions of the Act, alongside amendments to the Delimitation Act to enable redrawing of constituencies in line with the expanded House strength.

Another bill is also likely to extend the implementation of the reservation framework to Union Territories with legislatures, including Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry.