Pakistan's Foreign Office has categorically rejected a CBS News report alleging that Islamabad secretly allowed Iranian military aircraft to park at Nur Khan Air Base — a major Pakistani Air Force facility in Rawalpindi — to shield them from potential US airstrikes. Islamabad called the report "misleading and sensationalised," saying it appeared designed to undermine ongoing efforts for regional stability.

The CBS News report, citing unnamed US officials, claimed that shortly after President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Washington and Tehran in early April, Iran sent multiple aircraft to Nur Khan, including an RC-130 — a reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering variant of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules — raising concerns in Washington about the nature of Pakistan's mediation role. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said that if the reporting proved accurate, it "would require a complete reevaluation of the role Pakistan is playing as mediator." A senior Pakistani official had already pushed back against the CBS account, noting that Nur Khan is located in the heart of the city and that a large fleet of parked aircraft could not be hidden from public view.

Pakistan's Foreign Office offered a different explanation for the aircraft's presence. It said that following the ceasefire, and during an initial round of what it called the "Islamabad Talks," aircraft from both Iran and the United States arrived in Pakistan to facilitate the movement of diplomatic personnel, security teams, and administrative staff. Some aircraft and support personnel remained temporarily in anticipation of further rounds of negotiations. Although formal talks have not yet resumed, Pakistan said senior-level diplomatic exchanges have continued, including visits by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to Islamabad, handled through existing logistical arrangements. "The Iranian aircraft currently parked in Pakistan arrived during the ceasefire period and bear no linkage whatsoever to any military contingency," the Foreign Office stated.

The background to the dispute is significant. Pakistan has been positioning itself as a neutral mediator in a conflict that began on 28 February, when the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran, resulting in more than 3,000 deaths. A ceasefire was announced on 8 April, and a first round of talks was hosted by Islamabad on 11 April, though without a final agreement. Pakistan later secured an extension of the truce. Analysts have noted the delicate balancing act Islamabad faces: maintaining credibility with Washington while preserving ties with Tehran and China, Iran's most powerful international backer, which supplies roughly 80% of Pakistan's major arms imports.

The credibility of the CBS report itself has been questioned. Pakistan's Foreign Office said the "speculative narrative" aimed to destabilise peace efforts, while Dawn noted that CBS News has recently undergone editorial changes, with a new foreign editor described by former colleagues as more sympathetic to Israeli perspectives — an allegation that adds a layer of context to how the original story is being received across the region. Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment to acting as an "impartial, constructive, and responsible facilitator" and said it maintains full transparency with all relevant parties.