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Pakistan attempted to present itself as a peacemaker between the US and Iran, but the new details from a Financial Times report suggest that it was rather pushed by White House to broker the temporary ceasefire with Iran.
The report poses serious questions about Pakistan's independent diplomatic stance as it suggests that Islamabad was not a neutral broker but rather a convenient channel for the US to push the temporary ceasefire deal. Financial Times, citing the people familiar with the talks, reported that the US leaned on Pakistan to present Washington's proposal to Iran, making the country a mere messenger between the two sides rather than having an active neutral participation. Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif, who was the first one to suggest a two-week ceasefire in public, was reduced to a spectator with Army chief Asim Munir playing a central role, holding urgent 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. 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. 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. 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. (ANI)
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