Serious questions have been raised on Pakistan’s role during the ongoing war between America and Iran. According to a recent American report, while on one hand Pakistan was pretending to be a ‘mediator’ for peace between the two countries, on the other hand it gave hiding place to Iranian military aircraft at its airbase to protect them from possible American air strikes.
According to US officials, soon after President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire in early April, Iran sent many of its military aircraft to PAF Base Nur Khan near Rawalpindi. According to the report, these included the Iranian Air Force’s RC-130 spy plane. According to officials, all this happened secretly. To save its remaining aircraft and military resources, Iran shifted them to a safe place.
Pakistan’s double face exposed
There has been resentment in America after this double standards of Pakistan came to light. US Senator Lindsey Graham posted, ‘If this fact is true, then it will become necessary to completely review Pakistan’s role as a mediator between Iran, America and other parties. Given the past statements of Pakistani defense officials towards Israel, I would not be surprised if this was true.
On the other hand, the fear of open war is increasing in West Asia. According to the report of Wall Street Journal, the US Defense Department i.e. Pentagon has sent a submarine equipped with nuclear weapons towards the Middle East. This submarine has reached Gibraltar. This is a rare occasion when America has publicly admitted the location of its nuclear submarines.
Pakistan rejected the report
However, a senior Pakistani official rejected these reports related to Noor Khan Airbase. He told CBS News that any such activity cannot be hidden, because this airbase is located in a densely populated urban area.
What has Afghanistan said
An official of Afghanistan’s civil aviation department said that a Mahan Air plane had landed in Kabul before the war started. Iranian airspace was closed due to the fighting. In such a situation, this plane remained in Kabul for a few days. The plane was later diverted to Herat airport near the Iranian border as Pakistan launched airstrikes near Kabul.
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan, rejected reports of the presence of Iranian aircraft in Afghanistan, saying there was no need for Tehran to send its planes there. The Iranian plane’s stay in Kabul for a few days was nothing more than a coincidence.
Ceasefire still going on between America and Iran
It is noteworthy that the war between America and Iran started on 28 February. On February 28, America and Israel together attacked Iran. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in that attack. The war was going on since then. After this, there was a ceasefire between Iran and America on 8 April. This ceasefire has continued since then. Face-to-face talks between the two sides in Pakistan last month failed to reach any agreement to end the conflict.