- Pakistan wants good ties with Afghanistan: security sources.
- Regional states deserve credit for de-escalation efforts: sources.
- AJK situation to be dealt with according to Constitution: sources.
Field Marshal Asim Munir’s sole interest in a US-Iran deal was achieving “peace and stability” in the region, sources cited top security officials as saying on Tuesday, emphasising Pakistan was not interested in “headline diplomacy”.
Islamabad achieved a historic diplomatic victory on Monday when US President Donald Trump announced that Washington has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Iran to end the war in the Middle East.
Pakistan has been acting as a key mediator between Tehran and Washington since the Middle East conflict erupted on February 28, following US-Israel strikes on Iran.
During a briefing to journalists, senior security officials said that Pakistan has been handling the Iran-US issue as a “highly complex matter” and has fulfilled all requirements of being a mediator in the conflict.
“We are not interested in headline diplomacy,” security sources said, adding that the world was gradually recognising the role Islamabad had played.
According to security sources, Field Marshal Munir’s sole interest in the matter was “peace and stability” in the region.
The security officials warned that there were still actors seeking to spoil the understandings, saying that Israel dominated international media, they added.
They also noted that Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Egypt and the UAE also deserved credit for efforts aimed at de-escalation.
According to security sources, Pakistan maintained separate relationships with Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United States, which enabled it to engage with all sides.
JAAC stands ‘exposed’
On regional security, the security officials said that Pakistan wanted good relations with Afghanistan.
They stated that 862 militants were killed in Operation Ghazab lil-Haq in Afghanistan, while 999 others were eliminated inside Pakistan.
Discussing the situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), security officials the government had asked shopkeepers to reopen businesses.
However, members of the banned Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) blocked roads and threatened those reopening shops.
“Every moment [banned] JAAC is becoming more exposed,” they said, adding that the matter would be dealt with according to the Constitution.
On defence spending, security officials said that Rs300 billion had been allocated in the budget, representing a 17% increase.
They noted that most of the allocation would go towards mandatory expenditures, leaving limited funds for development projects.
Referring to broader security challenges, security sources said that terrorism remained an internal challenge and that modern warfare was increasingly dependent on advanced technology.
“In this context, the budget is low, and both military and political leadership are aware of this,” they said.
