Islamabad may host another round of US-Iran talks, but attention could again turn to the menu, as Pakistan’s cuisine emerged as an unlikely highlight of the first round of negotiations on April 12 and 13.
The United States and Iran are inching towards a second round of talks after marathon discussions in Islamabad failed to yield a breakthrough, but officials indicate the process remains very much alive.
Early deliberations are under way on the timing and venue of fresh negotiations, with Islamabad and Geneva among the leading contenders, AP reported.
In Islamabad, the spotlight may not rest solely on geopolitics.
Pakistan, while unable to broker an immediate agreement, made a seemingly lasting impression through its hospitality, with the cuisine served to delegates and media drawing widespread attention.
Near Islamabad’s Serena Hotel, where the talks were held, journalists were hosted at the media facilitation centre, the Jinnah Convention Centre, where elaborate spreads became a talking point in their own right on social media.
Dishes including chicken korma, chicken malai boti, Chinese rice, spinach curry, seekh kebabs, rasgullas and jalebis were reportedly served, accompanied by traditional music, reported MSN.
“Breakfast so far is my favourite! The hospitality of Pakistanis is so warm - more welcoming than I believe I’ve ever experienced,” wrote NY Post reporter Caitlin Doornbos on X.
Doornbos shared a photo of a feast from a local restaurant which X users identified as Kabul Restaurant F7.
Between chomping the delicacies, and waiting for updates, a journalist anonymously told AFP “I’m bored out of my mind.” Another one said, “There’s not much to do here.”
“21 hours of 'final offers' and JD Vance's high-stakes diplomacy calls for some serious soul food. Glad you found the secret to surviving a marathon in Islamabad,” said Frontier Digital, an online media platform in response to Doornbos’s post of halwa, calling it her new guilty pleasure.
The question now is whether the next meeting will deliver substantive diplomatic movement—or once again leaves the menu competing with geopolitics for global attention.
