Pezeshkian's pitch

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's air-dash to Islamabad was a gesture of gratitude to Pakistan and its untiring efforts for peace in the region. The fact that the high-profile visit came just a day after the Burgenstock talks underscores the gravity of the situation, and the indebtedness that the Iranian leadership feels for the do-or-die process at work. It is no small achievement that Islamabad had time and again saved the fragile ceasefire from going astray, and has done some superb diplomatic cobbling to keep negotiators from Tehran and Washington glued to the table. This aspect is now universally appreciated, and Pakistan is now, inevitably, the net security provider for the region and beyond.

Pezeshkian, however, had a doctrine to unveil as he rubbed shoulders with stakeholders in Islamabad. He has spelt out his frame of mind for a 'new regional security structure' among Muslim nations so that the causes of revulsion in the region can be addressed collectively. Pakistan obviously has a greater interest in it, as it has historically walked a diplomatic tightrope whenever the Gulf States were pitted against each other, while also working to broker a rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia. This new episode of bringing arch foes, the US and Iran, has simply cemented its caliber and capacity as a guarantor for tranquility, making it an indispensable mediator. Moreover, Islamabad had been at the forefront in calling for a new security architecture between Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the GCC States.

Pezeshkian's talking points, one hopes, will go a long way in cementing trust, and taking the envelope of collective security a step further. At a time when the US security umbrella is on a retreat in the Middle East, the idea of a new regional order based on cooperative security is worth walking an extra few miles. At the same time, Iran and Pakistan also have a responsibility to dispense by buoying their bilateralism to new heights and ensuring that border intrigues are addressed by taking out outlawed elements, and giving geo-economics a new shot in the arm.