AS situation is changing on an almost daily basis, military spokesperson, Lt. General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said on Friday that Pakistan was cautiously optimistic about the positive outcome of the mediation efforts being spearheaded by Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir aimed at de-escalation between the United States and Iran. He, however, warned that powerful spoilers and detractors still believed the conflict served their interests.
The remarks carry significance as they come in the backdrop of two visits to Tehran by the Field Marshal. It was widely believed that the visits were an indication that Pakistan was not disappointed despite hard positions adopted by the two warring sides and that the mediation process still can produce positive results. This assumption has apparently been confirmed by the Director-General, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in his first interview after a ground-breaking visit of the Makkah Pact members to Tehran. Nothing was officially confirmed about what was discussed and whether the meeting is likely to lead to some easing of the tension but the spokesperson posed a question “Why would the Field Marshal be going twice if it is not for some positivity? He added that the visits were indeed an indication of positive signs. In fact, brief remarks attributed to some participants of the Tehran meeting also raise expectations about something concrete emerging as a consequence of frank discussions held by the four countries on different aspects of the ongoing conflict. Pakistan is trying its level best to convince the warring parties and other stakeholders that continuation of the tension would not serve the interest of any country and that they should proceed ahead under the spirit of Islamabad Agreement that provides solid foundations for a journey on the road to peace and security. The spokesperson also clarified that Pakistan was not part of the Yemen conflict, which was an intra-Yemen conflict. However, understandably, Pakistan is under obligation to strengthen the hands of Saudi Arabia if there is any threat to its security and solidarity.
