ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has termed Pakistan’s mediation role in the ongoing Middle East war conflict between Iran and the United States a historic achievement in the country’s 78-year history.
During an interview with a private news channel, Khawaja Asif stated, “Pakistan’s mediation role in the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran marks a historic achievement for the country.” He also expressed hope for the success of the ongoing negotiations, making Pakistan the central player in the Middle East conflict resolution dialogue.
While speaking during the interview, Khawaja Asif stated, “Pakistan has been able to attain a position in the world where the country couldn’t be placed in the past. It is a rare honour for Pakistan, as the country has been able to attain the trust of the Gulf states and the world superpowers, including the United States, for mediation in the conflict.”
While speaking on the occasion, Khawaja Asif also stated, “Pakistan’s influence in the world sphere, especially during the recent conflict situation with India, has been quite significant.” He also stated, “India, after the major defeat it faced during the military conflict with Pakistan last year, is currently reeling from the failure on all fronts.”
“The entire world has seen the successes of the Pakistani armed forces, and even the US President, Donald Trump, has time and again accepted our successes,” Asif said. The Defence Minister was quick to point out the diplomatic successes of Pakistan compared to the diplomatic failures of Israel and India.
“The dishonesty and hostility of Israel and India have been exposed. Netanyahu is trying to drag the entire world into a war just to ensure his political survival, while India is now being isolated in the world arena due to its repeated failures in every sphere,” he said. In retaliation to the increased hostilities by India, Asif said that any hostilities by the eastern neighbour of Pakistan will face a strong military retaliation. “If India dares to challenge us, we will ensure they are taken back to their doorstep,” he said.
Regarding the internal affairs of the country, the Defence Minister said that the efforts made to stop the terrorism carried out by the Taliban were discussed. The Defence Minister said that Pakistan had taken military action against the Taliban factions, especially the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Tehrik-e-Taliban Afghanistan (TTA). “We should have taken action sooner against these terrorists,” Asif said. “Military action against the terrorists has proved to be fruitful, while Turkey and Qatar were trying to facilitate the dialogue between the warring factions. The lack of written guarantees from these countries, however, hindered the dialogue process.”
Asif concluded by expressing his confidence that Pakistan has the option to take further action if the diplomatic efforts do not bear fruit. “If the negotiations don’t bear fruit, we are ready to take the necessary steps to secure our national interest,” he said. “The diplomatic efforts, which have been encouraged by third-party countries, continue to be in place despite the uncertainty of the outcome.”
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