- Economic recovery process reversed due to Mideast war: Asif.
- Defence czar expresses hope for peace across region and beyond.
- Pakistan helping avert major global crisis, says defence minister.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday said that Pakistan’s efforts in ongoing US-Iran mediation were gradually moving towards a “positive outcome”, expressing hope for peace across the region and beyond.
“We have slowly moved closer to a positive result in the US-Iran mediation,” the defence czar told Geo News in Sialkot.
According to Asif, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Asim Munir and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s presence in Iran itself “signalled the matter was nearing” a resolution.
Field Marshal Munir landed in Tehran on Friday as Islamabad stepped up its diplomatic efforts to help end the US-Israel war on Iran.
During the visit — accompanied by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who was already in Tehran — Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Munir met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf to discuss regional de-escalation and ongoing mediation efforts.
Pakistan emerged as a key mediator between Washington and Tehran after six weeks of fighting that began on February 28, with Islamabad playing a central role in ceasefire negotiations and backchannel diplomacy.
The Middle East war erupted after the US and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran, prompting Tehran to retaliate with attacks on US bases across the region and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Hostilities ended on April 8 when Pakistan facilitated a two-week ceasefire, followed by direct negotiations between the US and Iran in its capital between April 11 and 12.
The talks, however, concluded without an agreement for a permanent end to the conflict as both sides disagreed on a number of issues, including Tehran’s blockade of Hormuz and its missile and nuclear programmes.
Despite the stalemate, Islamabad continued its push for mediation between Tehran and Washington, and also helped extend the ceasefire.
Meanwhile, the defence minister said that Pakistan was helping prevent a major global crisis and expressed optimism that the country’s diplomatic efforts would succeed.
Speaking about the domestic issues, Asif acknowledged the impact of inflation on ordinary citizens, saying people with limited resources were facing the greatest difficulties amid rising prices.
“We were in a recovery phase, but because of this war our economy has suffered badly,” he said, adding that the recovery process had not only stalled but had also reversed.
