- Economic recovery process reversed due to Middle East war: Asif.
- The defense czar expresses hope for peace across the region and beyond.
- Pakistan helps avert major global crisis, says defense minister.
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on Saturday that Pakistan’s efforts in the ongoing mediation between the US and Iran were gradually moving towards a “positive outcome”, expressing hope for peace in the entire region and beyond.
“We have slowly moved closer to a positive outcome in the mediation between the United States and Iran,” the defense czar said Pakinomist news in Sialkot.
According to Asif, the presence of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Asim Munir and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Iran itself signaled that the matter was approaching a resolution.
Field Marshal Munir landed in Tehran on Friday as Islamabad stepped up its diplomatic efforts to help end the US-Israel war against Iran.
During the visit – accompanied by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who was already in Tehran – Chief of Defense (CDF) Munir met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf to discuss regional detente 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 talks and backchannel diplomacy.
The Middle East War broke out after the United States and Israel launched coordinated attacks on Iran, prompting Tehran to retaliate with attacks on American bases throughout the region and the closing of the Strait of Hormuz.
Hostilities ended on 8 April when Pakistan facilitated a two-week ceasefire, followed by direct talks between the US and Iran in the country’s capital between 11 and 12 April.
However, the talks ended without an agreement on 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 programs.
Despite the impasse, Islamabad continued its push for mediation between Tehran and Washington and also helped extend the ceasefire.
Meanwhile, the defense minister said Pakistan helped prevent a major global crisis and expressed optimism that the country’s diplomatic efforts would succeed.
Talking about the domestic problems, Asif acknowledged the impact of inflation on common citizens and said that people with limited resources were facing the biggest 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 reversed.
