Pakistan is committed to playing an honest and impartial role in efforts to resolve the ongoing US-Iran conflict, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has said, stressing that Islamabad supports a peaceful, negotiated settlement and opposes any further escalation.
The military spokesperson made the remarks during an interview with CNN correspondent Ivan Watson, who shared a short clip of the conversation on his X account.
During the interview, Watson questioned whether Pakistan could maintain its neutral position in the conflict, given Iran’s past attacks on Saudi Arabia and the involvement of its ally, Yemen’s Houthi movement, in attacks against the kingdom.
In response, Lt Gen Chaudhry said Pakistan had demonstrated that it was an “honest broker” and had been transparent about its position regarding all its partners.
He recalled that, following the outbreak of the US-Iran war, Pakistan had openly condemned Israeli attacks on Iran as well as Iran’s retaliatory strikes across the Gulf region.
“We have been honest about that. We don’t mince our words; we have a stake in regional peace and stability,” he said, adding that Pakistan had consistently conveyed to all sides that expanding the conflict would benefit no one.
Lt Gen Chaudhry reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to a peaceful, negotiated resolution, saying the country was doing everything possible to bridge differences between the parties.
“We want that the conflict should not expand horizontally or vertically,” he said.
In another part of the interview, the military spokesperson addressed Pakistan’s troop deployment in Saudi Arabia under the Makkah defence alliance. He said Pakistani forces had maintained a presence in the kingdom for decades and had operated across multiple domains.
In a longer clip of the interview shared by state-run Pakistan Television on X, Lt Gen Chaudhry said questions about the alliance’s implementation involved operational matters.
He maintained that the Makkah accord was intended to serve a purely defensive purpose, in line with the understanding reached among its participating countries.
Decisions regarding the deployment, composition and operational use of military forces would be made by the relevant operational commanders, he said, adding that countries involved in a military conflict generally do not publicly disclose details of their force deployments.
However, he reiterated that any deployment under the arrangement would be defensive in nature.
Referring to the United Nations Charter, Lt Gen Chaudhry said all countries had the right to self-defence. He added that collective deterrence could help prevent threats from escalating into military confrontations.
He said Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye possessed significant military and diplomatic capabilities, which could discourage potential aggressors from taking hostile action against any member of the alliance.
The military spokesperson’s comments come amid escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and the continuing US-Israeli war against Iran, with Pakistan seeking to facilitate diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.
The defence pact among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, signed on August 7, aims to strengthen collective deterrence. Under the arrangement, an attack against one signatory is intended to be treated as an attack against all.
On Monday, the three countries agreed to the rapid deployment of military forces and capabilities to Saudi Arabia in the event of an emergency, following a meeting of the alliance in Riyadh.
