‘Plane stranded because…’: ‘Pakistan admits Iranian military jets are parked at its air base but says US media reports are misleading’

Islamabad on Tuesday acknowledged the presence of Iranian military aircraft in Pakistan but called U.S. media reports on the matter “misleading.”ALSO READ | Despite mediating in US-Iran war, Pakistan allows Iranian aircraft to use its air bases to avoid US attacks: reportPakistan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the plane arrived during the US-Iran ceasefire following the first round of peace talks and had “no connection” to any military contingency or preservation arrangements.

The statement stated: “This speculative narrative appears designed to undermine current efforts for regional stability and peace. The Iranian aircraft arrived during the ceasefire and have no connection with any military contingency or preservation arrangements. Claims otherwise are speculative, misleading and completely divorced from the factual context.”The FO added that Iranian and US aircraft had arrived in Pakistan after the ceasefire and during the first round of Islamabad talks on April 11-12 to facilitate the movement of diplomats, security teams and administrative personnel related to the talks process.It also noted that some aircraft and support personnel remained in Pakistan as future rounds of negotiations were not expected to materialize.“While formal negotiations have not resumed, high-level diplomatic engagements continue. In this context, the visit of the Iranian Foreign Minister to Islamabad has been facilitated through existing logistical and administrative arrangements. Pakistan remains committed to supporting all sincere efforts aimed at promoting dialogue, easing tensions and promoting regional and global peace, stability and security,” the statement added.CBS News reports that Tehran has dispatched multiple aircraft to Nur Khan Air Base near Islamabad’s twin cities of Rawalpindi, where the Pakistan Army headquarters is located, days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire with Iran in early April.“Military hardware included an Iranian Air Force RC-130, a reconnaissance and intelligence collection variant of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules tactical transport aircraft,” the report said.Following the revelations, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham called for a “radical re-evaluation” of Islamabad’s role as a “mediator” in ending the US-Iran conflict. The conflict broke out on February 28 and has been on hold since April 8.The report comes days after Pakistan confirmed it had received Tehran’s peace proposals and was acting as a mediator to convey them to Washington.(with PTI input)