Pakistan's Duplicity Exposed: Mediating Iran War While Sheltering Iranian Aircraft At Nur Khan Base

Añadido: 2026-05-14

[00:00:00]Pakistan's double speak is something that we want to highlight and this isn't the first such instance. Pakistan's duplicity has repeatedly been exposed and yet Pakistan continues to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. Let me tell you about 2005.

[00:00:18]Pakistan virtually ran a nuclear Walmart. Abdul Qadeer Khan, the the father of the Pakistani bomb was actually running a nuclear Walmart where he was smuggling centrifuges using incidentally the same C-130s or similar C-130 transport aircraft, US made aircraft and centrifuges were being smuggled to Iran. The nuclear Walmart also was trying to help Libya make the bomb. Back in 2005, Pakistan admitted that it's the father of its bomb, Abdul Qadeer Khan, had transferred sensitive centrifuge nuclear technology to Iran's to help Iran's nuclear program. One of the biggest proliferation scandals in modern history. 2011, the world's most wanted terrorist, Osama bin Laden, he was killed in Abbottabad, barely 100 m [music] from Pakistan Military Academy Kakul. Remember, Pakistan was part of the international force to target Taliban and Al-Qaeda post 9/11. Pakistan was the most favored non-NATO ally or the most trusted non-NATO ally. This is how Pakistan responded to US trust by shielding Osama bin Laden and hiding him at very close to Pakistan Military Academy at Kakul. The same year, leaked [music] Guantanamo Bay documents triggered another controversy with allegations of links between elements of Pakistan's ISI and terrorist networks and this when Pakistan publicly positioned itself as a country, Pakistan's ISI and CIA were working together in the war on terror.

[00:02:03]2019, Imran Khan spoke aggressively on Jammu and Kashmir, but was completely silent on China's treatment of Uyghur Muslims.

[00:02:13]In fact, when a pointed question was put to him, he said, "I'm not even aware of it." And this is when Pakistan claims to be a champion of Muslims world over.

[00:02:25]Yes, they may be, except when it comes to their paymaster, China. When it comes to their uncle, China, Pakistan just does a sajdah, worse, maybe a pie boss to Xi Jinping, kissing Xi Jinping's feet. But the silence was attributed to Pakistan dependent on arms and arms from China.

[00:02:48]2026, Pakistan deployed fighter jets and troops to Saudi Arabia while trying to play a mediator in the Iran war and helping Iran, which incidentally was bombing Saudi Arabia. Now Islamabad says it's an honest mediator and Iranian reconnaissance aircraft are being sheltered at Nur Khan. Long history, familiar pattern.

[00:03:12]Pakistan says something but does something completely different. And what should one make of Senator Lindsey Graham calling Pakistan calling out Pakistan and Pakistan's long history of running with the hare and hunting with hounds. Joining me on India First is Michael Kugelman, director South Asia Institute and Wilson Center, joins us from the United States of America. Also with me Sushant Sareen, senior fellow at the Observer Research Foundation.

[00:03:36]Gentlemen, welcome. Sushant, you heard Senator Lindsey Graham. Has Pakistan's double speak and double game been exposed? Hosting talks and quietly letting Iranian Elint aircraft be parked at the Nur Khan airbase.

[00:03:52]Um Gaurav, It doesn't matter whether it's been exposed or not. For 20 years the Pakistanis were taking the Americans for a ride in Afghanistan and the excuse they were making is that they can't take action against the Taliban. We cannot do anything to them. We have to give them safe havens and sanctuaries inside Pakistan because how else do you think we will be able to intercede on your behalf and get you guys to talk to each other. Uh You know, so so they've been playing this game for donkey's years now.

[00:04:23]And they are doing the same thing right now. Now the Americans, I think there is at least a section of Americans who understand what is happening, how they are being had, but there is a larger section which includes probably people like Lindsey Graham because listen, you know, you are you are reacting to what you heard Lindsey Graham say yesterday.

[00:04:42]Okay.

[00:04:42]>> But there's an entire history of Lindsey Graham with the Pakistanis where he has lauded Pakistanis, appreciated them, held them up as exemplars, allies of the United States. So today he's flipping a lid.

[00:04:56]I don't I don't take him seriously, you know.

[00:04:59]No, but why is he flipping a lid now?

[00:05:01]What are games at play?

[00:05:03]I take him seriously, really. So let me bring in Michael Kugelman to respond to this.

[00:05:09]Has Senator Lindsey Graham called a spade a spade finally on park mediation or park double game? Why would an Iranian electronic intelligence aircraft that RC-130 be parked at Noor base unless Pakistan was actually shielding Iranian assets assets perhaps from future attacks?

[00:05:28]Yeah, so first a point on on Lindsey Graham and what he said just to keep the US political context in mind here.

[00:05:34]Lindsey Graham is one of a very small number of public figures that President Trump trusts when it comes to issues related to Iran. You know, it's it's it's well known that there are not many subject area specialists in the White House given that the NSC has been cut down significantly. So there's a small number of folks that President Trump depends on. So it it's I think it's pretty significant that Lindsey Graham was so critical of Pakistan yesterday.

[00:06:00]Though as as you know, President Trump soon after that hearing when Trump when Graham made those comments, Trump said that he still sees Pakistan as an important mediator. He said he's still happy with with Pakistan. But to your point about this report, um you know, this is a case of a lot of fact being presented in a report that cannot be disputed. Yes, there were military jets um in Pakistan at Nur Khan and even the Pakistani government acknowledged that.

[00:06:24]But the report I think um presents a fact and then makes an assumption. Um an assumption that this meant just because there were military aircraft at Nur Khan, they were being shielded from the war. But you know, there's some other important things to be brought out here.

[00:06:38]I just you know, as an analyst, I think a full picture is necessary.

[00:06:41]Um you know, these these craft um could well have been used for and likely were used for diplomats from Iran that were coming to uh to to Islamabad for that round of talks in Islamabad.

[00:06:53]And indeed, some of them could have been kept on in Pakistan in anticipation of the possibility of a second round of talks, which did not happen. Uh and let's keep in mind that America was not bombing Iran. Uh Israel wasn't either at this time. There was a ceasefire in effect. So yeah, I think we have to be careful in assessing what is a very important indeed a bombshell report um from from CBS. Um I just didn't think it's important to put that that full picture out there. We can speculate about why those jets were there.

[00:07:22]>> we to then believe? Are we then to believe, Michael, and let me bring in Sushant Sareen on this first, that uh you know, people would be traveling military generals or or uh ministers would be traveling in electronic intelligence aircraft in an LNC-130?

[00:07:38]Sushant Sareen, because Pakistan's foreign ministry, as Michael Coulman very rightly points out, they haven't denied these reports of Iranian planes on Pakistani soil, but they said, you know, they were there when the entourage came and they just remained there. But should they be there when the principals have gone back to their respective countries, or is this classic Pakistan playing all sides?

[00:08:03]Uh so, I'll just come to that. Just a word on Lindsey Graham. Look, Michael is right that Lindsey Graham is somebody Trump has been, you know, talking to, listening to, taking him seriously. But the problem out here is a massive disconnect. Lindsey Graham is interested in bombing the hell out of Iran.

[00:08:22]Trump does not have the stomach for it anymore. He wants to get out of this war and he wants to get out of this war keeping his dignity intact, which I think is going to become difficult as time goes on because the Iranians seem to be getting their act together. The American act is dissipating completely.

[00:08:38]So, I would imagine that he Trump is in a in you know, caught between a rock and a hard place and given his his past record, he'll dump Lindsey Graham if Lindsey Graham's advice or his his take on the current situation does not match up to what Trump wants to hear. On the on the other question, look, you know, you can make whatever excuse you want to make that these were of officials of the Iranian from the Iranian side who were brought in this military aircraft, which is also an Elint aircraft.

[00:09:14]This is not one of the normal transport aircraft. Yes.

[00:09:18]So, this is this is a very specialized kind of an aircraft which was brought out here. Why this Okay, I can understand this was brought when the main delegation of Iran was coming.

[00:09:28]But when that delegation was leaving, why didn't this plane leave with them?

[00:09:32]Ideally, if it was brought when that delegation was coming and that delegation came in a civilian aircraft from the images we saw. This aircraft would have accompanied them to monitor the airspace around, which incidentally the Pakistanis claim they were also protecting. Yes.

[00:09:48]>> So, this aircraft comes around that time and then stays in Pakistan for what? Why doesn't it go back? Didn't it need to protect that delegation when it was going back? Because there were threats being issued from the American side that they will bomb these guys off. Uh there were there was that danger that these guys could be bombed at that point of time. So, should not this aircraft had gone back at that point of time? And if it is continuing to stay in Pakistan, then there has to be some other explanation because from April 11th, 12th when this aircraft seems to have landed in Pakistan to now, it's over a month and I don't know what kind of negotiations or what kind of officials are staying in Pakistan and for what?

[00:10:30]And what kind of negotiations are happening?