Iran deal: Pak's Sharif leaves for Switzerland

Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and its Army Chief Asim Munir left for Switzerland early Sunday to participate in the technical-level talks between the US and Iran.As a follow-up to the signing of the Islamabad MoU, technical-level talks will be held in Burgenstock, Switzerland, on Sunday, according to the prime minister's office.Also read: US disputes Iranian claims about closing Strait of Hormuz as negotiators head to Switzerland"The prime minister, along with a high-level delegation, has departed from Islamabad for Switzerland," the PMO said in its statement issued after midnight.It added that Prime Minister Sharif and Field Marshal Munir will participate in these talks.Earlier, Pakistan had announced that the talks would be held in Switzerland after they were postponed on Friday.The talks are aimed at adding key details to the preliminary accord to halt the nearly four-month war between the US and Iran signed earlier this week by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.US Vice President J D Vance was initially supposed to hold a first round of talks with senior Iranian officials on Friday at a mountainside resort in the tiny Swiss village of Obburgen, but his Iranian counterparts cancelled their plans to attend because of escalating fighting between Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.Also read: US VP JD Vance departs Washington for Iran deal talks in SwitzerlandBut negotiators for the US and Qatar, with help from Iran, worked out an agreement between Israel and Hezbollah to tamp down the active hostilities, according to US and regional officials who were not authorised to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.Iran's state media later announced on Saturday that its top officials would travel to Switzerland.Vance left for Switzerland on Saturday evening, just as Iranian state TV posted a video showing Iran's negotiators arriving there.They are led by parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and includeForeign Minister Abbas Araghchi and central bank and oil officials, among others. ...