Asif Mahmood
CBS report is childish and absurd. It claims that while Pakistan positioned itself as a diplomatic conduit between Tehran and Washington, it quietly allowed Iranian military aircraft to park on its airfields, “potentially shielding them from American airstrikes.” The allegation itself collapses under the weight of common sense.
What a bizarre and laughable claim it is that Iran sent its fighter jets to Pakistan to save them from destruction, and that they remained parked at Nur Khan Airbase. These are fighter aircraft, not pigeons that respectable people could tuck into their pockets and move around unnoticed.
In this modern age, is it even remotely possible for one country to move its fighter jets into another country without the world noticing, especially at a time when the United States was monitoring every corner of Iran? Could something of this magnitude really have happened without Washington knowing about it?
It is equally absurd to suggest that Iranian aircraft were secretly stationed at Nur Khan Airbase. This is not some distant and hidden military installation. It lies only a few kilometers from the capital city, and it is practically impossible for foreign military aircraft to be parked there without anyone finding out.
I visited the CBS website and read the relevant report. It turned out that the story had been jointly filed by three journalists, two Americans and one individual from Afghanistan. At that point, things began to reveal and expose.
If Pakistan had actually protected Iranian fighter jets in this manner, could the American administration truly have remained unaware of it while American and Afghan journalists somehow uncovered the story first? There is a limit even to absurdity. According to this logic, journalists broke the news while the President of the United States remained completely unaware and continued praising Pakistan.
The first fact is that before the ceasefire, no Iranian aircraft came to Pakistan. Some aircraft did arrive later, and everyone knows they did. They came only after negotiations had begun.
The second fact is that during the negotiation process, not only Iranian aircraft arrived, but American aircraft did as well. Personnel came, security teams arrived, and their aircraft were also parked at Nur Khan Airbase. Nothing was secretive. Both countries knew exactly what was happening. Every arrangement was clear and transparent.
The third fact is that even after the negotiations concluded, the process did not end. Discussions continued, certain officials remained here, roads in Islamabad stayed blocked, and there was an expectation of a second round of talks. Some aircraft therefore remained present as part of this ongoing arrangement, and everyone involved was fully aware of it.
The fourth fact is that the Iranian Foreign Minister visited Pakistan twice after the first round of negotiations. The already established security and administrative mechanisms continued to provide logistical support for these visits. The situation was changing from moment to moment. Negotiations could resume at any time, and the movement of officials and delegations continued.
The fifth fact is that the aircraft which remained in Pakistan did not arrive before or during the war. They arrived only after the ceasefire. By the time they came to Pakistan, the negotiation process had already started and the ceasefire was already in place. The ceasefire still continues even now. After that point, the United States did not launch any further attacks on Iran. So if Iran was no longer under attack and a ceasefire already existed, what need was there to send aircraft to Pakistan for protection? What kind of logic is this? During the actual war, Iran kept its aircraft inside Iran, but once the war had stopped, it supposedly sent them to Pakistan for safety.
It is obvious that this is not journalism but mischief, and its purpose is to cast suspicion on Pakistan’s role. Certain forces are uncomfortable with Pakistan’s conduct. They cannot tolerate the fact that Pakistan helped prevent the malicious Zionist design of provoking an Iran Arab conflict in the region. Frustrated by this failure, they have now launched a propaganda campaign against Pakistan.
An attempt is being made to create the impression that Pakistan acted not as a mediator but as a party to the conflict. This malicious propaganda neither matches the facts nor withstands common sense. Why would Pakistan involve itself on one side of the war and unnecessarily invite American hostility? Those who understand the fundamentals of Pakistan’s foreign policy know that such a scenario is simply impossible.
Pakistan’s role from the very first day was based on goodwill, and it remains based on goodwill even now. Pakistan is not aligned with any one side. Pakistan holds sincere goodwill for everyone involved.