Field Marshal Asim Munir’s Iran visit was not US mission: FO

ISLAMABAD -- Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi has said Field Marshal Asim Munir’s visit to Iran was not made on behalf of US President Donald Trump or the United States.

"The visit was undertaken purely in the context and backdrop of Pakistan's ongoing role as a mediator, he added.

Speaking at the weekly briefing in Islamabad, Andrabi said Field Marshal Asim Munir’s visit to Iran was not made on behalf of US President Donald Trump or the United States.

The spokesperson further said Asim Munir’s visit to Iran was part of Pakistan’s ongoing diplomatic efforts, adding the field marshal held discussions with Iranian officials on reducing regional tensions and finding a negotiated solution to the crisis.

Andrabi said Pakistan remained in contact with brotherly countries to help ease tensions in the region and resolve the Middle East crisis.

He added that Pakistan’s efforts were aimed at promoting peace and stability in the region and paving the way for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Iranian leadership, he said, had appreciated Pakistan’s role in the diplomatic process.

Pakistan is set to assume the chairmanship of the organisation of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation for a one-year term following the two day SCO Council of Heads of State Summit commencing in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on Monday.

At his weekly news briefing in Islamabad today, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif will be visiting Bishkek to participate in the SCO Council of Heads of State Summit and he will also hold bilateral meetings with the Kyrgyz leadership.

He said the hallmark of Pakistan's SCO chairmanship will be the SCO Summit to be held in Islamabad next year.

Responding to a question, the Foreign Office Spokesperson said Pakistan notes the proposal by the interim Afghan government's Interior Minister for a dedicated bilateral mechanism to address contentious issues. He said Pakistan remains open to state-level dialogue. However, the sustainability of any mechanism will depend on tangible actions, rather than mere assurances.

Tahir Andrabi emphasized that 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 TTP and BLA against Pakistan. He said Pakistan remains ready for institutional coordination, provided it results in tangible and verifiable counter-terrorism measures and effective border management.

When asked about trade with Iran, Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan is following bilateral trade agreements with Iran and that its trade remains in consonance with international obligations and international law.  He said whatever unilateral sanctions are imposed on Iran, Pakistan is not obliged to respond to those.

He said Pakistan has always opposed unilateral coercive measures and particularly the issue of unilateral sanctions outside the United Nations.

Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan believes that such actions are usually counterproductive. He said Pakistan-Iran trade has by and large remained robust and there is a desire in Pakistan to expand this trade. 

He hoped that as part of the wider settlement of US-Iran standoff, the economic issues will also be settled in the long run.

The Spokesperson said Pakistan remained engaged alongside brotherly countries in sincere and concerted efforts towards resolving the crisis in the Middle East and the Gulf and with respect to the standoff between the United States and Iran.

To another question, the Spokesperson categorically rejected the self-contradictory and retrospective claims made by the former Indian Chief of Defence Staff regarding Kirana Hills, near Sargodha.

He said during Marka-e-Haq, Pakistan's layered air defence network effectively thwarted India's military objectives, while Pakistan's subsequent response under Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos demonstrated the ability to impose cost across the conflict spectrum.

Tahir Andrabi said no strategic asset or sensitive infrastructure was compromised in Pakistan.

He said attempts to retrospectively recast these events through selective narrative or dramatised production cannot alter the verifiable operational record of May last year. He said history is established by facts and evidence, not by Bollywood-style retrospective claims.