Islamabad credited with rare diplomatic breakthrough

Officials, experts hail landmark success in modern mediation

ISLAMABAD:

In a diplomatic development that has stunned observers across the world, Pakistan has emerged as a central mediator in brokering a peace process between the United States and Iran, moving two long-standing adversaries from the brink of a wider regional war to a formal agreement announced on June 14.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, announcing the breakthrough in the early hours of Monday on X, described it as a "new dawn of peace".

The statement immediately drew global attention, with multiple world capitals acknowledging Pakistan's role in facilitating the process, while Israel and India notably refrained from referencing Islamabad's involvement.

According to former diplomats and international affairs experts, the achievement was not accidental but the result of sustained, discreet and strategically positioned diplomacy.

At a time when escalating hostilities between Washington and Tehran had triggered fears of a wider conflict, including concerns over disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy route, Pakistan stepped into a space that no other actor was able or willing to occupy.

Experts say Pakistan's credibility stemmed from its unique diplomatic positioning: trusted simultaneously by Washington and Tehran, maintaining constructive ties with Gulf states, and remaining outside direct military entanglements in the conflict zone.

This allowed Islamabad to function as a rare bridge between two deeply polarised sides.

Former Azad Jammu and Kashmir president and senior diplomat Masood Khan called the achievement without precedent.

"This is a historic success, with no parallel in diplomatic history, when a single country has managed to broker a ceasefire, host two sworn enemies' face-to-face talks for the first time in 47 years, and deliver an agreed Memorandum of Understanding. Today, Pakistan is standing at the highest summit of its statehood. Its diplomacy is sky-high. This is not hyperbole; this is reality," he remarked.

Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed also underscored the significance of Pakistan's mediation. "Only because of Pakistan and its mediation, the ceasefire happened on April 7, 2026. Israel continuously tried to destroy the process. So credit goes to Pakistan for what they did," he said, adding, "After 47 years, Pakistan was able to put them together in the same city, in the same hotel, in the same room. That was not even possible for any country, or even for the UN, the OIC, the European Union, or the Arab League."

Despite repeated geopolitical pressure points and attempts to disrupt the process, Pakistan maintained its diplomatic channel and ensured continuity of engagement between the two sides.

Analysts remain divided over whether Pakistan's role fundamentally altered the trajectory of the conflict or simply accelerated an inevitable thaw.

Former UN ambassador Munir Akram, however, argues the intervention was decisive in preventing escalation into a broader regional war.

"It's a very fair statement that Pakistan helped avert a wider regional war. The US wanted an upfront agreement. Iran wanted their assets and other things. We found a way of addressing both their issues. Gulf countries were attacked, so it was a wider war. Containing it is something big."

He added that negotiations remain ongoing and require continued engagement over the next 60 days to formalise ceasefire arrangements, address asset-related disputes, and resolve maritime issues linked to the Strait of Hormuz.

Masood Khan warned of the broader stakes involved. "There was deep mistrust between the US and Iran. Both had dug in their heels for a long war. And there were many spoilers in the game. But Pakistan realised quickly that this war, which had held the entire world hostage, could cascade into multiple conflicts that would have triggered a third world war. Already, three continents, the Americas, Asia, and Europe, had become part of the war theatres. Pakistan has brought the world back from the precipice."

The development has also triggered reflection on Pakistan's evolving diplomatic identity, with analysts noting a shift from earlier periods of strained external relations to renewed relevance in high-level mediation efforts.

Mushahid Hussain Syed said Pakistan was reclaiming its traditional diplomatic role. "Pakistan has always played a major role. We lost our way after the Afghan conflict. So we are getting back what we were good at".

He added, "Pakistan is now not just any other country, but now a major Muslim power in the most strategic region. Not a middleman or anything, but a major Muslim power."

Masood Khan placed the breakthrough within a longer historical continuum of Pakistani diplomacy, referencing past roles in US-China engagement and Middle East peace processes, calling the latest development a "landmark achievement" in that trajectory.

Mushahid further described it as one of Pakistan's most consequential diplomatic victories in decades, adding, "I would say that this is one of Pakistan's biggest diplomatic triumphs in decades , like after the OIC Council hosted in Lahore and the China-US talks in 1971. This is huge. It has historical consequences for the region and the world". He concluded, "Pakistan is now the go-to country for global diplomacy. All roads lead to Islamabad."

Yet the key question, analysts note, is whether Pakistan can convert this diplomatic momentum into long-term strategic and economic dividends.