The defense minister says Pakistan’s stature has improved after its victory over India in Maarka-e-Haq last May.
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Friday expressed hope for a deal between the United States and Iran, saying Pakistan would be a major beneficiary of such a peace deal, with the “biggest benefit” being a secure border with Tehran.
His remarks come amid a recent surge in violence in the Gulf, where U.S. and Iranian forces have clashed and the United Arab Emirates have been attacked again, threatening to impose a month-old ceasefire and raising concerns about the prospects for a diplomatic resolution. The escalation came as Washington awaited Tehran’s response to a proposal to end the conflict, which began with joint US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran on February 28.
Hopes for a deal have resurfaced in recent days after the United States passed a proposal through Pakistani mediation, with Washington expecting an Iranian response on Friday. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the development could lead to a serious negotiation process.
Read: Rubio says US should get response from Iran today
Speaking on a private television show Naya PakistanAsif said that because of the success in last year’s conflict against India, the nation seemed more confident than a year ago.
“About a year ago, the situation was uncertain, especially in terms of security and in several other areas. We were facing multiple problems at that time, and these problems still exist – I do not deny that,” he said.
“As far as security is concerned, we are now much more confident, thanks to our armed forces,” he added.
Talking about Pakistan’s mediating role in the Iran-US war, he said Pakistan enjoyed a historical, geographical and religious relationship with Iran, adding that the two countries shared multiple ties which had been managed in a balanced manner.
He added that diplomatically, Pakistan was able to convince the United States to agree to a ceasefire aimed at restoring peace in the region. “We will also be among the main beneficiaries of this peace,” he added.
While expressing hope for an agreement between the two warring parties, he said that if sanctions were lifted after an agreement with Iran, Pakistan would be able to obtain several products – currently sourced from international markets – directly from Iran through land routes, including gas and oil.
“The biggest benefit would be if our border becomes secure, from where terrorism has sometimes infiltrated into our territory,” he said, adding that the border with Afghanistan remained dangerous and discussions in this regard were also underway with China.
He attributed Pakistan’s recent rise to what he described as the country’s “historic victory” over India a year ago through Operations Bunyanum Marsoos and Marka-e-Haq.
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“Through this, we gained international recognition as a nation capable of bringing an enemy six times our size to its knees,” he said, adding that the dividends of this outcome were still benefiting Pakistan today, as various world powers and neighboring countries had developed confidence in Pakistan as an “honest dealmaker”.
Terming the victory at Marka-e-Haq a decisive success, he said it had significantly boosted national confidence as Pakistan had broken a psychological barrier by demonstrating that it could take on and defeat India, with the world recognizing these efforts. “Even President Trump may have mentioned 70-80 times the number of Indian planes shot down,” he added.
He said the world had historically not treated Pakistan and India the same, but after the victory, not only had the two countries been treated the same, but Pakistan was, in some cases, seen more favorably. “We have become an option, both diplomatic and military. Pakistan is now recognized as a power to be reckoned with,” he said.
Replying to a question, he said India also realized that the issues could be resolved through diplomatic engagement with Pakistan. However, he added that the Indian Prime Minister, given his mindset and ideological support for Hindutva, would never accept such a solution as it would harm his political narrative.
“There are voices in India recognizing that in this conflict, India was defeated, Pakistan had the upper hand and in future these issues should be resolved peacefully,” he said.
He also claimed that India was engaged in a proxy war against Pakistan across Afghanistan, describing Afghan actors as proxies for what he called India’s Hindutva-oriented approach, which he said had “nothing to do with religion.”
“Afghans are being used by Hindutva extremist thinking to create unrest along our western border,” he said.
He said India’s ultimate strategy was to encircle Pakistan from all sides, but added that Pakistan’s relations with Iran were strong, securing its 1,100-kilometre border.
He further said that if a negotiated settlement was reached with Afghanistan and cross-border terrorism was stopped, Pakistan would be in a stronger position to deal with India with all flanks secured.
