Pakistan calls report of US broadcaster misleading regarding sheltering of Iranian
Pakistan on Tuesday dismissed allegations that
it was sheltering Iranian military aircraft at Nur Khan Airbase to protect them
from potential US strikes, calling a recent report by US broadcaster CBS News
“misleading and sensationalised.”
In a statement issued by the Foreign Office
(FO), officials clarified that the presence of Iranian aircraft in Pakistan was
connected to diplomatic engagements and ongoing peace efforts between Tehran
and Washington following the ceasefire announced earlier this year.
“Pakistan categorically rejects the CBS News
report regarding the presence of Iranian aircraft at Nur Khan Airbase as
misleading and sensationalised,” the FO spokesperson said.
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According to the statement, aircraft from both
Iran and the United States arrived in Pakistan after the ceasefire and during
the initial round of the “Islamabad Talks” to facilitate the movement of
diplomatic delegations, security personnel and administrative teams involved in
negotiations.
The FO added that several aircraft and support
staff remained temporarily in Pakistan in anticipation of further rounds of
talks, despite formal negotiations not yet resuming.
The clarification came after CBS News, citing
unnamed US officials, reported that Pakistan had quietly permitted Iranian
military aircraft to park at Pakistani airbases while publicly presenting
itself as a diplomatic intermediary between Tehran and Washington.
The report alleged that several Iranian
aircraft, including an Iranian Air Force RC-130 reconnaissance plane, were
moved to Nur Khan Airbase near Rawalpindi shortly after US President Donald
Trump announced a ceasefire in early April. It further claimed the move was
intended to shield Iranian aviation assets from possible American airstrikes
amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Rejecting the allegations, the FO stated that
the aircraft currently stationed in Pakistan “bear no linkage whatsoever to any
military contingency or preservation arrangement.”
“Assertions suggesting otherwise are
speculative, misleading, and entirely detached from the factual context,” the
statement added.
Islamabad also reiterated that Pakistan had
acted as an “impartial, constructive and responsible facilitator” in efforts
aimed at easing tensions between Iran and the United States.
The Foreign Office revealed that senior-level
diplomatic contacts had continued despite the pause in formal negotiations and
noted that recent visits by the Iranian foreign minister to Islamabad were
facilitated through logistical arrangements linked to the talks process.
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Pakistan has increasingly played a mediatory
role in backchannel diplomacy between Tehran and Washington since the recent
US-Iran crisis erupted. Last month, Islamabad hosted high-level discussions
involving senior American and Iranian officials aimed at preserving a fragile
ceasefire and preventing further regional escalation.
Officials in Islamabad maintained that
Pakistan remains committed to supporting diplomatic dialogue and regional
stability.
“Pakistan
remains committed to supporting all sincere efforts aimed at promoting
dialogue, reducing tensions, and advancing regional and global peace,
stability, and security,” the FO spokesperson said.
Source:
Express Tribune