Addressing delegation-level talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has made it clear that Tehran’s ballistic missiles are not a part of the recerntly signed Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

“This MoU does not mention ballistic missiles. It was never on the table, it was never on the agenda, and the Iranian side never even wanted to discuss it. This is not an impression, but a fact of [the] matter,” he emphasises.

The premier adds that this must not be misconstrued because of “spoilers all over the world” looking to sabotage the agreement.

“They don’t want the Iranian nation to come out of the ashes of war and touch the zenith of glory,” PM Shehbaz adds.

“So I want to make it abundantly clear that, of course, there cannot be double standards; that some countries can have ballistic missiles and Iran shouldn’t have [them]. You cannot digest this kind of duplicity.”

PM Shehbaz reiterates that the MoU he signed as a mediator, “does not mention ballistic missiles at all, so there should be no confusion about it.”