PAKISTAN PERSPECTIVE

Islamabad is fighting to stay at the center of the game — because peace has become its currency.

Dawn, Pakistan's paper of record, delivers the densest and most clear-eyed coverage in the entire pool. The paper reveals that Pakistan, backed by Turkish and Egyptian intermediaries, is working behind the scenes to arrange a second round of negotiations before the ceasefire expires on April 21. Tehran prefers Islamabad as the venue; Geneva is the fallback. The immediate priority is a 45-day ceasefire extension. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the cabinet the truce is 'under strain but holding.'

Dawn's editorial, 'It's far from over,' is a model of analytical journalism. It notes that Vance left Islamabad highlighting only the nuclear issue as the sticking point, while Trump himself emphasized the Strait of Hormuz — suggesting the two subjects serve as distinct negotiating levers. Dawn also observes that neither side has denied the possibility of another round, which the paper reads as a positive signal.

But Pakistan is no disinterested broker. Geo News reveals that Islamabad is simultaneously negotiating with Riyadh and Beijing for $3 billion in financial support to repay a loan to the UAE. The finance minister discusses Eurobonds, strategic loans, and emergency fuel reserves. Iran mediation is inseparable from Pakistani economic survival — and Dawn doesn't hide it, which is precisely what makes its coverage credible.