Defense Minister says Pakistan’s stature has improved after victory over India in Maarka-e-Haq last May.
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Friday expressed hope for a US-Iran deal, saying Pakistan would be among the biggest beneficiaries of such a peace deal, with the “biggest benefit” being a secure border with Tehran.
His remarks came amid a recent flare-up in the Gulf, with US and Iranian forces clashing and the United Arab Emirates under renewed attack that threatened a month-old ceasefire and raised concerns about the prospects for a diplomatic solution. The escalation came as Washington awaited Tehran’s response to a proposal aimed at ending the conflict, which began with joint US-Israeli airstrikes over Iran on February 28.
Hopes of a deal resurfaced in recent days after the United States brokered a proposal through Pakistani mediation, with Washington expecting an Iranian response on Friday. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the development could lead to a serious negotiation process.
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Speaking in a private TV program Naya PakistanAsif said that due to success in last year’s conflict against India, the nation seemed more confident compared to a year ago.
“About a year ago, there was an uncertain situation, including on the security front and in several other respects. We faced several problems at that time and those problems still exist – I do not deny that,” he said.
“In terms of security, we are much more confident now, thanks to our armed forces,” he added.
Talking about Pakistan’s mediating role in the Iran-US war, he said that Pakistan had a historical, geographical and religious relationship with Iran, adding that the two countries shared several ties which had been handled with balance.
He further said that diplomatically, Pakistan had succeeded in convincing the US to agree to a ceasefire aimed at restoring peace in the region. “We will also be among the biggest beneficiaries of this peace,” he added.
While expressing hope for an agreement between the two warring sides, he said if sanctions were lifted following an agreement with Iran, Pakistan would be able to source several commodities – currently sourced from international markets – directly from Iran through land routes, including gas and oil.
“The biggest benefit would be that our border would become secure from where terrorism has occasionally infiltrated our territory,” he said, adding that the border with Afghanistan remained insecure and discussions in this regard were also underway with China.
He attributed the recent rise in Pakistan’s stature to what he described as the country’s “historic victory” over India a year ago through Operation Bunyanum Marsoos and Marka-e-Haq.
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“Due to this, we have gained recognition internationally as a nation that can bring an enemy six times its size to its knees,” he said, adding that the dividends of this result still benefit Pakistan today as various global powers and neighboring countries had developed trust in Pakistan as an “honest negotiator”.
He termed the victory in Marka-e-Haq a decisive success and said it had significantly boosted national confidence as Pakistan had crossed a psychological barrier by demonstrating that it could take on and defeat India and the world recognized these efforts. “Even President Trump has mentioned maybe 70 to 80 times how many Indian planes were shot down,” he added.
He said that historically the world had not treated Pakistan and India equally but after the victory both countries were not only treated equally but Pakistan was in some cases seen more positively. “We have become an opportunity, diplomatically as well as militarily. Pakistan is now accepted as a power to be reckoned with,” he said.
Responding to a question, he said India had also realized that issues could be resolved through diplomatic engagement with Pakistan. However, he added that the Indian Prime Minister, given his mindset and ideological Hindutva backing, would never accept this as it would undermine his political narrative.
“Voices are emerging in India that recognize that in this conflict, India was defeated, Pakistan had the upper hand and that henceforth these issues should be resolved peacefully,” he said.
He also claimed that India was engaged in proxy warfare against Pakistan through Afghanistan, describing Afghan actors as proxies for what he called India’s Hindutva-driven approach, which he said had “nothing to do with religion”.
“Afghans are being used by extremist Hindutva thinking to create unrest along our western border,” he said.
He said India’s ultimate strategy was to surround Pakistan from all sides, but added that Pakistan’s ties with Iran were strong and secured the country’s 1,100-kilometer border.
He further said that if a negotiated settlement was reached with Afghanistan and cross-border terrorism was stopped, Pakistan would be in a stronger position to deal with India with all flanks secured.
