Pakistan struggles to maintain US-Iran diplomatic efforts amid ceasefire uncertainty

Pakistan Denies Allegations of Military Aid to Iran

The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs has rejected allegations that it had sheltered Iranian military aircraft from potential US strikes. The statement came hours after US President Donald Trump said the month-old truce between Washington and Tehran was on “massive life support”.

According to a report by CBS News, Iran had moved several military aircraft, including an RC-130 reconnaissance plane, to Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan near Rawalpindi after the April 8 ceasefire. The Pakistani Ministry stated that the aircraft arrived as part of diplomatic logistics linked to talks in Islamabad between senior US and Iranian officials on April 11.

Both Iranian and US aircraft used the base, according to the Ministry. “The Iranian aircraft currently parked in Pakistan arrived during the ceasefire period and bear no linkage whatsoever to any military contingency or preservation arrangement,” the statement said.

Pakistan has consistently acted as an impartial facilitator throughout the process, the Ministry added. However, some Trump administration officials have expressed concerns that Islamabad may be sharing a more positive version of the Iranian position with the US than what reflects reality.

A Pakistani official told Al Jazeera that Islamabad has been as direct with both parties as any neutral arbiter could be in order to succeed in mediation. The official emphasized that the objective is to resolve the complex conflict rather than earning brownie points or headline diplomacy.

US Senator Lindsey Graham has called for a reevaluation of Pakistan’s mediator role, while analysts say the controversy is unlikely to significantly damage Islamabad’s position. “Pakistan has done more than many had expected,” said Syed Ali Zia Jaffery, deputy director at the Centre for Security, Strategy and Policy Research at the University of Lahore.

The fact that both Tehran and Washington continue to rely on Pakistan suggests that such allegations would have limited impact. As long as both capitals believe that Islamabad remains a dependable facilitator and mediator, such reportage won’t have any significant effect.

Source: Al Jazeera