Pakistan tried to project itself as a peacemaker between the United States and Iran, but fresh details from a Financial Times report indicate it was actually nudged by the White House to help broker a temporary ceasefire.
The report raises concerns about Pakistan’s diplomatic independence, suggesting that Islamabad did not act as a neutral mediator but rather served as a convenient channel for the US to advance its proposal.
Pakistan Acted as Messenger Between US and Iran
According to sources cited by Financial Times, Washington relied on Pakistan to convey its ceasefire offer to Iran, effectively positioning it as a messenger between the two sides instead of an active, balanced negotiator.
Although Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was the first to publicly propose a two-week ceasefire, reports suggest he played a limited role later, while Army chief Asim Munir took charge of key discussions with US officials, including Donald Trump, JD Vance, and envoy Steve Witkoff.
Moreover, Pakistan’s involvement as a mediator did not come from its diplomatic prowess but with a belief that Iran was more “likely to accept the US-backed offer if it was delivered by a Muslim-majority neighbour state,” as per the report.
Social Media Slip Exposes Internal Gaps
The blunder from Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif on a social media post, in a rush to claim credit, also exposed limited say over the deal.
Sharif, who framed the deal as Pakistan’s initiative, mistakenly included a subject line at the top of his post: “draft — Pakistan’s PM message on X”
Pakistan’s attempt to cast itself as a neutral player also came under threat when a drone attack hit the Saudi petrochemical hub of Jubail, a Financial Times report revealed. Islamabad had signed a mutual defence pact with Riyadh last year. Pakistan still stayed neutral, allowing it to engage in diplomatic efforts.
Ceasefire Confusion Over Lebanon
Pakistan PM has also stated that Lebanon was included in the ceasefire, but Donald Trump and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu both have dismissed this statement, allowing Israel to continue its military operations against Hezbollah.
Meanwhile, the diplomatic engagement between the US and Iran is set to take place in Islamabad this weekend, where both sides will hold direct talks aimed at ending weeks of intense hostilities following the outbreak of war.
Two-Week Ceasefire Framework
The meeting follows an immediate ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran for two weeks after weeks of conflict in the region.
The US delegation will be led by Vice President JD Vance, and the Iranian delegation will be led by Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
This comes after Trump suspended the “bombing and attack” campaign on Iran, announcing a two-week double-sided ceasefire and saying that the 10-point proposal from Iran was workable.
(With Inputs from ANI)
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