US-Iran conflict: Country won't take sides: army

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor Sunday said Pakistan would play the role of a peacemaker and not take sides in the ongoing conflict between the United States and its neighbour Iran.

"Pakistan has defeated and eliminated terrorism on its territory and would not allow its soil to be used against any other country," he said talking to a private news channels.

The ISPR director general rubbished the claims made by the Indian media that Pakistan's policy towards Iran had changed in the wake of resumption of the US military training programme for the Pakistan Army as mere propaganda and 'fake news'.

Islamabad and Washington had been in talks for the last four or five months over the issue and linking it as Pakistan aligning with the US was "Indian propaganda", he said. "The Pakistan Army is a responsible and professional force, and has exercised restraint despite provocative statements from the Indian leadership."

Maj-Gen Asif Ghafoor also spoke about the conversation between Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Qamar Javed Bajwa and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

He said the Army Chief told Pompeo that the region was making progress towards peace from a very bad situation and the Baghdad incident would be detrimental to the peace efforts. "General Bajwa has an important role with regard to regional security and Afghan peace process, and Pakistan don't want to see another conflict in this region," he stated.

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