Pakistan playing 'pivotal role' in ending US-Iran war: Khawaja Asif

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Friday that Pakistan was playing a very "pivotal role" in ending the war between the United States and Israel. Speaking in an interview on programme 'Naya Pakistan' on a private media outlet, he said Egypt, Turkiye and Pakistan were involved in the effort to stop the war and prevent further destruction in the region. "It is a matter of honour for us for Pakistan's leadership to be playing an important and pivotal role in ending a conflict in which our brotherly Muslim community is involved." He credited Pakistan's greater role in the conflict's mediation to its "enhanced image and worth" internationally and among Muslim countries after last year's military conflict with India. The defence minister also pointed towards Pakistan's ramped-up diplomacy in the conflict's aftermath, saying the country was in a "unique phase" in its history where there was strong trust and confidence present. "Another side of this coin is our relations with the US and the direction they've taken," Asif said, adding that Pakistan had never before achieved the kind of position as the present in its diplomacy with the US. The minister further said that Pakistan was in an active state of war with Afghanistan, with "lukewarm tensions" present with India as well. "I think history is in the making. Pakistan's leadership, and the hybrid system ... is delivering. Not only within Pakistan ... but the way our prestige has enhanced internationally, I think both Pindi and Islamabad have realised that Pakistan's respect is rooted in a joint leadership front." Asif said Pakistan was in a position to play a role, adding that it was an opportunity by history for the government to mark its position for future generations to remember. "We have to build on these opportunities that nature provides. I think staying away is not an option," he said, adding that there were not a lot of huge risk factors for Pakistan in the situation. "I think the benefits are huge," he added. Questioned about the mutual defence pact with Saudi Arabia possibly kicking in if the Gulf states responded to Iran, the defence minister said: "We could be subject to the situation, you are absolutely right. This is why the role of diplomacy is all the more important, so we don't let that situation arise and avoid it." Questioned about reports of Pakistan hosting US-Iran talks, Asif said it was better for him not to comment on the situation so that it could come to fruition on its own. On recent disparaging remarks by the Indian leadership about Pakistan's role, the minister said: "I think they are tearing their mouth off ... it is their failure, there is no doubt in this. Jaishankar and his father were diplomats ... diplomacy is his family profession, and he is mocking us as a 'broker'? he is a 'broker' by heritage and he is mocking us." He also questioned whether India had not attempted a similar role in the Russia-Ukraine war. "I think India has been defeated on both the military and diplomatic levels ... the face of the butcher of Gujarat has come to the fore." On the progress in the operation against Afghanistan, he said Pakistan had succeeded in creating pressure but could not predict the long-term situation. "The offence we started has not concluded, there was a lull due to Eid and the world's attention is currently on a bigger conflict. We will not give them any respite; there is no doubt about it. We have to conclude this operation to attain maximum results." The minister expressed hope that China's influence on and in Afghanistan would be able to conclusively solve the crisis. Read More: Europeans to press Rubio over Russian support for Iran at G7 meeting In a potentially game-changing diplomatic signal, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently publicly offered Pakistan as a venue for US-Iran peace talks, an offer that received an extraordinary boost when President Donald Trump reposted it on his Truth Social platform, a move widely seen in Islamabad as Washington’s tacit endorsement of Pakistan’s emerging role as a mediator. The unprecedented reshare by Trump has injected fresh momentum into Pakistan’s mediation bid, suggesting that the idea of Islamabad as a neutral venue for high-stakes negotiations is gaining traction at the highest levels in Washington. Pakistan’s cautious public posture came as it quietly emerged as a key player seeking an end to the escalating US-Iran conflict. According to American media reports and officials familiar with the developments, Islamabad is being positioned as a potential venue for negotiations between Tehran and Washington. Meanwhile, the country’s military leadership also engaged Washington. A report in the Financial Times said Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir held a telephone conversation with President Trump to discuss the evolving situation. Diplomatic sources said the contacts reflected Pakistan’s attempt to leverage its unique ties with both Tehran and Washington to create space for dialogue. At the same time, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar led a hectic diplomatic outreach, speaking separately with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi and Turkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. In both conversations, Dar emphasised dialogue and diplomacy to ensure peace and stability, with all sides agreeing to remain in close contact. These parallel engagements, involving Turkiye and Egypt as well, point to a coordinated but still nascent mediation effort, largely centred on backchannel messaging rather than a formal negotiation process.