No new military cooperation with Iran, direct talks with US amid conflict: Kh Asif

Mobilizing China, Muslim nations to press for calm before

ISLAMABAD: Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has said Islamabad had

not engaged in any new military cooperation with Tehran since

Israel launched attacks on Iran and had not held specific talks with

the United States over the escalating crisis in the Middle East.

In an exclusive interview with Arab News, Khawaja Asif said regular

security cooperation was continuing with Iran along their shared

border to combat militant groups, but no fresh operational

coordination had been initiated in response to Israel’s attacks on

Iranian territory since June 13.

“I don’t see any need of [it],” the defense minister said in response to

a question on whether Pakistan’s military was coordinating with

Iranian counterparts on the border or engaging in any fresh defense

cooperation.

“We coordinate on a very regular basis as far as the Iran and

Pakistan border is concerned because of terrorist activities… that

sort of cooperation is already on. So I don’t see any new activity.”

Asked if Pakistan had held talks with Washington to discuss the fast-

evolving situation, the defense minister said there had been no

recent contact specifically on the crisis in the past five days:

“But we are in constant touch with the United States of America

regarding the tense situation we have in this region.”

Khawaja Asif said Pakistan’s leadership was instead focused on

engagement with close partners like China and Muslim countries to

press for calm, warning that the conflict risked engulfing the entire

region.

“The countries who have religious affinity with us or geographical

affinity, even China or other countries, because what we are

pursuing is peace,” he said.

“And we would like to mobilize the countries of this region that this

conflict can multiply and it can engulf the whole region into a

situation which could be very, very disastrous.”

The Defense Minister described Israel as a state with “hegemonic

intent” whose recent actions in Gaza and against Iran were

“extremely dangerous to the immediate region,” and said global

public opinion was turning against Israeli policies despite support

or muted reactions from many Western governments.

Kh Asif declined to comment on reports that Pakistan had scrambled

fighter jets near its nuclear sites and the Iranian border in response

to Israel’s initial strikes on Iran but insisted that its nuclear security

remained robust.

In addition to the Middle East tensions, Pakistan faced a major

military standoff with India last month in which the two nations

exchanged missile, drone and artillery attacks. Islamabad claimed to

have shot down six Indian jets and struck back at military positions,

triggering fears of a wider conflict between the nuclear-armed rivals

before a ceasefire was announced by the President Donald Trump

administration on May 10.

When questioned about any direct threat to Pakistan’s national

security or strategic assets as a result of the conflict in the Middle

East, the defense minister said Pakistan’s armed forces were already

on high alert following the latest confrontation with New Delhi,

describing the country’s nuclear facilities as “very militantly

guarded, very grudgingly guarded” and fully compliant with

international safeguards.

“Since our short war with India [in May], we have been on alert so

we have not lowered guards… We can never take the risk of any

attack on our nuclear facility from anywhere, that is something

which is a lifeline as far as our defense is concerned,” he said

Asif said Pakistan’s performance in the recent fight with India was

evidence of the country’s defense capability and national resolve,

which would deter Israel from any adventurism.

“We have just had a bout with India and we clearly established our

superiority, the superiority of our armed forces, Air Force, Pakistan

Army, Pakistan Navy and the determination of our people, the way

the nation stood behind the armed forces,” the defense minister

said. “So I think Netanyahu or his people or his government will think

many times before taking on Pakistan.”–NNI