PAKISTAN PERSPECTIVE

Islamabad is living its finest diplomatic hour and makes no secret of it. Geo News reports that Trump declared 'Pakistan has been great. I might go if the deal is signed in Islamabad', explicitly praising General Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Dawn notes that the first round of talks in Islamabad—21 hours of negotiation between Vance and Qalibaf—was the first direct meeting between American and Iranian officials in over a decade, and the most significant since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Munir is now in Tehran to prevent a resumption of hostilities. Pakistan finds itself in a role it has never held: mediator between the two most implacable enemies of the Middle East. For a country accustomed to being treated as a problem (terrorism, nuclear proliferation through A.Q. Khan), this is a breathtaking reversal. But Pakistani coverage also reveals the risks: Dawn notes that despite 21 hours of discussions, the first round ended without agreement. The 'sticky issues' mentioned by a security source remain unresolved—particularly Iran's nuclear program. Pakistan is betting heavily on this mediation. If it succeeds, Islamabad becomes a major diplomatic actor. If it fails, General Munir will have staked his prestige for nothing.