This is an opinion piece. The views expressed are the writer’s.
In April, the world’s attention turned to Islamabad. Over about 21 hours at the Serena Hotel, delegations led by US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf held the first direct high-level talks between the two countries in years. Pakistan’s prime minister, army chief and foreign minister sat in the middle. The talks did not produce a deal, but they began a process that led to the 14-point “Islamabad Memorandum” signed in June, which briefly reopened the Strait of Hormuz.
That truce collapsed in July. Yet Pakistan remains one of the few channels still open. On October 24, Iran’s ambassador in Islamabad said Tehran had offered, through Pakistan, to restore shipping if the US ended its naval blockade, a claim Iranian media then disputed (Energi Media). The confusion is telling: being a messenger in a war is delicate work.
Why this role matters to Pakistan
This is not vanity diplomacy. Brent crude near $117 a barrel hits Pakistani households directly through fuel prices. Millions of Pakistanis work in the Gulf and sent home billions of dollars in the last quarter alone. A neighbour at war on our western border, with sectarian and refugee consequences, is a direct security risk. Peace in the Gulf is a national interest, not a favour to others.
What credibility requires
Discretion
Mediators who talk too much lose access. Islamabad should resist the temptation to announce breakthroughs before both sides confirm them.
Even-handedness
Pakistan’s value comes from being trusted, or at least tolerated, by both capitals. Any perception that it is carrying one side’s water ends that. Questions raised in Washington this year about Pakistan’s neutrality, and Tehran’s own doubts in April, show how thin the line is.
Coalition-building
Pakistan is not alone. Qatar, Oman, Egypt and Turkey have all played roles. Working with them rather than competing for credit makes success more likely.
The domestic test
A country that wants to be a peace broker abroad also needs political stability at home. The crisis in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, under emergency and governor’s rule, will shape how outsiders view Pakistan’s capacity to deliver. Credibility abroad and dialogue at home go together.
Pakistan has quietly earned a seat at one of the world’s most consequential tables. The challenge now is to keep it. More views in Opinion.
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