As the world awaits, with bated breath, the outcome of extremely critical talks between the United States and Iran to reach a peace deal, Pakistan has good reason to rejoice in the fact that it has not only played the lead role in mediating a two-week ceasefire, but is now hosting the historic talks.
This is a great diplomatic triumph and allows ordinary Pakistanis to feel proud of what their government has achieved with its creative diplomacy in such treacherous circumstances. The Iran war had brought the world to the brink of a catastrophic disaster when, literally at the last minute, President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire.
The way he put it is a strong proof of the role Pakistan has played in a historic moment. President Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: “Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir of Pakistan and in which they asked me to stop the destructive force being sent to Iran tonight… I agree to suspend the bombing and attack on Iran for a period of two weeks.”
And now Pakistan is hosting the talks in Islamabad. What this means is that the most urgent conversations at this moment in history will be reported around the world dated Islamabad. Pakistan, in that sense, is at the center of the world. It is true that the main focus will be on the development of a difficult encounter between the United States and Iran, but a little distraction should be possible to underline the glory that belongs to Pakistan.
For Pakistan, becoming a mediator in this conflict would be an impossible task, given the antagonistic relations between the United States and Iran at one level and between countries in the region at another. There will surely be many interesting details about how Pakistan was able to rise to this challenge to, so to speak, find its place under the sun.
For many of us, Pakistan’s diplomatic performance in negotiating a ceasefire and hosting the talks is an eye-opener. It provokes a feeling of joy and pride that we are not really used to. Normally, Pakistan’s projection in the world is rarely positive. Our indicators of social development are constantly depressing. We are not doing well in our economic and social sectors. In many other respects, we lag behind other countries in the region.
In the midst of all these deficits, we have the gift of a diplomatic achievement linked to a global event of historical importance. It is also gratifying that Pakistan has earned this high profile through hard work and a determined sense of purpose. It is easy to see that this was a very, very difficult task. The war in Iran had signs of a global conflict, with unforeseen consequences.
A long article appeared in the New York Times on Wednesday chronicling the “fight for a ceasefire” titled: ’36 Hours of Chaos.’ He noted that mid-afternoon in Washington on Tuesday, “an encouraging message about an agreement taking shape was reviewed by the White House and posted on social media by Pakistan’s prime minister.”
There is another reference to Pakistan’s participation in ceasefire negotiations. “Shortly after 5 p.m., Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, called Mr. Trump to discuss the contours of the ceasefire agreement. Mr. Munir told the president that the Iranians had accepted Pakistan’s proposal.”
There is a long list of world leaders who have praised Pakistan’s courageous diplomacy. Although this ceasefire is very fragile and there are fears about how the negotiations could develop, this first step towards peace was taken less than two hours before the deadline given by President Trump to Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Otherwise, “an entire civilization will die tonight.” That the leader of the most powerful country would make such a threat is something that the world has had a hard time understanding.
Regardless, the talks are now taking place in Islamabad against the backdrop of Israel’s most intense bombing of Lebanon, although Pakistan and Iran have maintained that Lebanon was party to the ceasefire agreement. President Trump has argued that the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is a separate issue. Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz is another source of tension.
By ensuring a two-week ceasefire, Pakistan has opened the possibility of lasting peace in the Middle East. There are observers who believe that it would not be easy to reach a final agreement that resolves all disputes between the United States and Iran. At the same time, the very idea of a resumption of war is prohibitive. Still, there is talk that a ceasefire is a calm before a major storm.
Once the ceasefire is established, there is also time to reflect on a number of issues. One, of course, is whether this ceasefire will hold. In other words, what’s next? Given that the war was started, without any justification, by the United States and Israel, a good question is whether they have achieved any of their objectives.
In another context, President Trump is in the spotlight for his actions and pronouncements. He wanted to return Iran to the Stone Age and then destroy its civilization in one night. One question that does seem valid is whether he personifies the beginning of the decline of the American empire. Does the Iran war mark the decline of American power in the world?
Some hope that the Islamabad talks will be fruitful may lie in the fact that the United States has repeatedly declared victory without being specific about the objectives it has achieved. Overall, military experts believe that the United States has suffered a huge strategic setback. Iran, on the other hand, is seen as strategically stronger.
We will have to see how these perceptions are reflected in the positions taken by the United States and Iran in Islamabad. Will peace prevail?
The writer is an experienced journalist. He can be contacted at: [email protected]
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of PakGazette.tv.
