Islamabad, August 27, 2026: Pakistan on Thursday rejected reports that Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir visited Iran as an envoy of US President Donald Trump, describing the claims as “misleading and factually incorrect” and reiterating Islamabad’s role as a mediator in efforts to end the ongoing US-Iran conflict.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, addressing the weekly press briefing in Islamabad, said Field Marshal Munir’s day-long visit to Tehran on August 24 was undertaken “purely in the context and backdrop of Pakistan’s ongoing role as mediator”.
“The discussions during the visit focused on regional de-escalation, breaking the military stalemate and exploring a negotiated settlement to restore regional peace and stability,” Andrabi said.
He stressed that the visit was part of Pakistan’s continuing diplomatic efforts to facilitate an end to the US-Iran standoff and revive efforts aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
During his visit, Field Marshal Munir held meetings with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, the Iranian Supreme Leader’s representative on the Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei, Parliament Speaker Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani and Iranian sides discussed reopening the Strait of Hormuz, regional peace and ways to reach a negotiated settlement to the conflict. The discussions also focused on achieving an “expedited termination” of the US-Iran conflict.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accompanied Field Marshal Munir during the Tehran visit.
Andrabi said the visit demonstrated Islamabad’s “sincere and constructive role in bridging the differences between Washington and Tehran”, adding that the Iranian leadership had appreciated Pakistan’s efforts towards de-escalation and a peaceful resolution.
“Pakistan remains engaged alongside our brotherly countries in sincere and concerted efforts towards resolving the crises in the Middle East and Gulf and with respect to the standoff between the US and Iran,” he said.
He added that Pakistan would continue diplomatic engagement and support all sincere efforts aimed at reviving peace talks and achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the conflict.
The spokesperson also highlighted the diplomatic efforts of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, saying he had remained in contact with regional counterparts over developments in the Middle East. Dar had spoken with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan three times during the past two weeks, he added.
Pakistan has emerged as a key intermediary between Tehran and Washington since the conflict began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. Islamabad brokered a two-week ceasefire between the two sides on April 8, temporarily halting six weeks of fighting, and has since continued to relay messages between Washington and Tehran.
A Pakistan-mediated memorandum of understanding (MoU) reached between the US and Iran in mid-June had provided for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran and Muscat expected to work out arrangements for the future administration and maritime services of the strategic waterway in consultation with Gulf states and in accordance with international law.
The understanding, however, subsequently collapsed, failing to pave the way for negotiations on a permanent end to the conflict.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi visited Tehran on Tuesday and discussed a proposed framework agreement involving a temporary shipping corridor and a project to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz.
Although no clear breakthrough has emerged and major differences between Tehran and Washington remain, the renewed diplomatic activity has brought both the political and technical dimensions of the dispute back into focus.
Iran continues to view the Islamabad-brokered MoU as an appropriate framework but has called for concrete steps from Washington to demonstrate its willingness to honour its commitments.
Pakistan ready for state-level talks with Afghanistan
Turning to Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, Andrabi said Islamabad remained open to state-level dialogue with Kabul but stressed that any mechanism for resolving bilateral disputes would have to be backed by “tangible actions rather than mere assurances”.
He was responding to reports regarding Afghan interim Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani’s proposal for a dedicated mechanism to address contentious issues between the two countries.
“Pakistan knows the proposal by the interim Afghan government’s interior minister for a dedicated mechanism to address contentious issues. We remain open to state-level dialogue. However, the sustainability of any mechanism will depend on tangible actions rather than mere assurances,” he said.
The spokesperson made clear that Pakistan expected Kabul to ensure that Afghan territory was not used for terrorism against Pakistan.
“Kabul must honour its international commitments, including those under the Doha framework, and ensure that Afghan soil is not used by hostile proxies, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and the Baloch Liberation Army, against Pakistan,” Andrabi said.
He said Islamabad was ready for institutional coordination provided it produced “tangible and verifiable counterterrorism measures and effective border management”.
Pakistan has repeatedly called on the Taliban administration in Kabul to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil that Islamabad says are being used to plan and carry out attacks inside Pakistan. Pakistani officials have maintained that their concerns have so far not been adequately addressed.
FO rejects Indian claims over 2025 conflict
The Foreign Office also rejected claims by former Indian Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan regarding the May 2025 conflict between Pakistan and India.
Chauhan had reportedly claimed that an Indian Harop drone accidentally struck Kirana Hills near Sargodha after running critically low on fuel.
“We categorically reject the self-contradictory and retrospective claims made by the former Indian chief of defence staff regarding Kirana Hills,” Andrabi said.
He maintained that Pakistan’s layered air defence network had effectively thwarted India’s military objectives during the conflict, while Pakistan’s subsequent response under Operation Bunyanum Marsoos demonstrated its ability to impose costs across the conflict spectrum.
“No strategic asset or sensitive infrastructure was compromised in Pakistan,” he asserted.
Andrabi said attempts to retrospectively recast the events through selective narratives or dramatized productions could not alter what he described as the verifiable operational record of May 2025.
“History is established by facts and evidence, not by Bollywood-style retrospective claims,” he said.
MJDA remains open to new members
On reports that Bangladesh was interested in joining the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (MJDA) between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, Andrabi said the framework remained open to countries sharing its commitments to collective obligations and common security interests.
“As an evolving security architecture, the MJDA remains open to countries who share their commitments to collective obligations and common security interests,” he said.
The agreement, signed on August 7, seeks to strengthen collective deterrence and provides that an attack against one signatory would be treated as an attack against all.
Andrabi described the pact as a defensive framework intended to safeguard peace and promote regional stability.
He said any formal request from another country to join the agreement would be considered in consultation with Riyadh and Ankara, while noting that operationalisation of the MJDA remained at an early stage.
