ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) rejected claims by certain quarters that the Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal General Asim Munir visited Iran as an envoy of President Trump or the United States, saying the reports are misleading and factually incorrect.
The Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi stated this while addressing a weekly media briefing here on Thursday. Andrabi said that the visit was undertaken purely in the context and backdrop of Pakistan’s ongoing role as a mediator.
Pakistan remains engaged, alongside other brotherly states, in sincere efforts to resolve the crisis in the Gulf and the Middle East with respect to the standoff between Iran and the United States.
On the regional front, Field Marshal Asim Munir visited Tehran on 24th August as part of Pakistan’s continuing diplomatic efforts to facilitate an end to the US-Iran conflict and renew efforts to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Discussions focused on regional de-escalation, breaking the military stalemate, and exploring a negotiated settlement to restore regional peace and stability.
He announced that Pakistan is set to assume the Chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) for a one-year term following the SCO Council of Heads of State Summit, scheduled to be held in Bishkek from 31 August to 1 September 2026.
In this connection, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will be visiting Bishkek to participate in the SCO Council of Heads of State Summit and hold bilateral engagements with the leadership of the Kyrgyz Republic.
The hallmark of Pakistan’s SCO Chairmanship will be the SCO Council of Heads of State Summit to be hosted by Pakistan in Islamabad in 2027.
Pakistan will continue to actively pursue diplomatic engagement and support all sincere efforts aimed at reviving the peace talks and achieving a comprehensive, just, and lasting resolution of the conflict, he remarked.
The spokesperson said Pakistan noted the proposal by the interim Afghan government’s interior minister for a dedicated bilateral mechanism to address contentious issues, stating, “We remain open to state-level dialogue.”
For any dialogue to take place, Andrabi added that the Afghan Taliban must ensure that Afghan soil is not used by any group to perpetrate terrorism against Pakistan. Kabul must honor 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 remarked.
To a question regarding Bangladesh’s desire to join the Makkah Agreement, the FO spokesperson said the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement is a defensive framework aimed at safeguarding peace and promoting regional stability. He emphasised, “Any formal request will be considered in consultation with our partners in Riyadh and Ankara.”
Tahir Andrabi said that on 19th August, Indian authorities used heavy machinery to demolish sheds, benches, and a walkway adjacent to the consular section of Pakistan’s High Commission in New Delhi. This was the consular section, and the facility was used by those coming to seek consular assistance and visas.
So, we have launched a strong protest, calling the acts a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961. Any attempt to link this incident to Islamabad’s ongoing non-discriminatory anti-encroachment drive in the Diplomatic Enclave is misleading. Our drive targets unauthorized structures outside all diplomatic missions, not just India, in the Diplomatic Enclave.
The FO spokesperson remarked that Pakistan and Qatar are trying to promote peace in the region and secure the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Andrabi stated that the RSS and its affiliates and cadres have been fomenting anti-Muslim hatred in India. They have also been stoking anti-Pakistan hatred, so their activities are indeed questionable.
The spokesperson highlighted that there were indeed renewed efforts for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. So, we remain positive that some momentum will be generated towards this important aspect because the disturbance in the Strait of Hormuz affects everybody with respect to the disruption of supply chains, particularly energy supply.
As regards the follow-up visits that are taking place subsequent to the CDF’s visit to Tehran, he pointed out that Qatar and Oman are actively engaged in efforts to convince Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He said: “We remain positive.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026