Pakistan’s quiet diplomacy delivers US-Iran ceasefire
Within days, Pakistani officials were quietly activating diplomatic channels across multiple capitals
ISLAMABAD (MNTV) – The two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran didn’t happen overnight. Behind the announcement lay more than two weeks of intensive, largely behind-the-scenes diplomatic work driven by Pakistan — work that many observers say proved decisive in preventing a broader regional catastrophe.
Islamabad moved swiftly after hostilities erupted on February 28. Within days, Pakistani officials were quietly activating channels across multiple capitals, positioning the country as an indispensable bridge between Washington and Tehran.
That role was made possible by a rare institutional advantage: Pakistan formally represents Iranian interests in Washington, giving it simultaneous footholds in both adversarial capitals.
Washington-based scholar Michael Kugelman pointed to several factors that made Pakistan uniquely suited for the task — strong ties with all key players, White House trust, ongoing engagement with Tehran, and support from China, which carries considerable weight with Iran. He later described the outcome as “one of Pakistan’s biggest diplomatic wins in years,” noting it silenced skeptics who doubted Islamabad’s capacity for such complex, high-stakes mediation.
The effort’s most visible moment came on March 29–30, when foreign ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey convened in Islamabad to map out a de-escalation framework.
But when immediate talks stalled, Pakistan intensified rather than retreated. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar worked through more than a dozen world leaders across Washington, Moscow, Beijing, European capitals and Gulf states. Pakistan’s military leadership, including Field Marshal Asim Munir, reinforced these efforts through direct conversations with senior U.S. officials including President Trump.
By early April, Islamabad had circulated a concrete ceasefire framework.
As military pressure mounted and fears of wider war deepened, the proposal gained traction — culminating in the April 7 announcement.
Formal negotiations are now expected to begin in Islamabad on April 10.
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