Islamabad (Pakistan News): Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, has said that Pakistan is cautiously optimistic about its role in mediating between Iran and the United States.
In an interview with Reuters, the DG ISPR described Field Marshal Asim Munir's two recent visits to Iran as positive. He said that if the visits had not been productive, why would the field marshal have travelled to Iran twice? However, he stressed the need to remain cautious while maintaining hope.
Without naming anyone, he said that certain influential elements were still working to prolong the conflict and create obstacles because they believed the tensions served their interests. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry declined to comment on questions about talks with Iran and US support for the mediation efforts.
Regarding the possibility of Iran joining the Makkah Defence Agreement, the DG ISPR said the agreement's text did not prevent any new member from joining. He said every country that shared the vision of collective defence and regional peace was welcome, although the decision would rest with the political leadership of the three founding parties.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on August 7 this year. Under the agreement, an attack on any one of the three countries would be considered an attack on all three.
Asked about the possible deployment of additional Pakistani troops in Saudi Arabia, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said it would depend on the circumstances and decisions of the political leadership of both countries. He said Pakistan was committed to defending Saudi Arabia and the holy sites of Makkah and Madinah, but added that Pakistan was not a party to Yemen's internal conflict.
Responding to a question about the possibility of a major military operation following the imposition of governor's rule and an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the DG ISPR said the army did not conduct counterterrorism operations in that manner. According to him, intelligence-based operations were being carried out against terrorists, and their pace would be further accelerated.
It is worth noting that the federal government imposed governor's rule and an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on October 11, 2026. The government accused the provincial administration of failing to prevent terrorism and refusing to cooperate with the federal government, while the PTI rejected these allegations.