Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has expressed his hope that the ceasefire between the United States and Iran can be made permanent.

Addressing a session of the Ulema Council, he said that Pakistan’s efforts had been directed towards securing direct negotiations and a ceasefire — “first it happened, then it was extended, then extended a second time, then a third time” that had “at least” stopped the deaths of several hundred people daily.

He said that the efforts of Pakistan were now geared towards making this ceasefire permanent.