In recent weeks, Pakistan has attempted to cast itself in an unfamiliar role of a diplomatic bridge between warring adversaries of United States and Iran. When Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a ceasefire on April 8 as the war between US-Israel and Iran dragged on, it briefly appeared that Islamabad had stepped onto the global stage as a constructive mediator. For a country which has more often been associated with geopolitical hedging, internal instability, and terrorism, such a role appeared transformative. But that narrative, however appealing as it may be, hides a far more consequential reality as Pakistan’s foray into mediation is less about diplomatic ambition and more about domestic political calculus. And at its very centre stands Field Marshal Asim Munir, the country’s powerful army chief, whose recent actions suggest a strategic attempt to consolidate authority at home even if that means placing Pakistan in a potential harm’s way.

In order to understand the motivations of Pakistani establishment, one must first look beyond the optics. Pakistan has endured a decade of direct and indirect military rule with its political system evolving into a kind of hybrid model, something acknowledged by Pakistan’s political leadership. Under this rule, civilian leaders form the face of governance façade whereas the military leadership led by Army Chief, in today’s scenario Asim Munir, defines the boundaries of power. And in moments of crisis or opportunity, it is the military’s General Headquarters in Rawalpindi which outlines the contours of the state’s response.

The mediation effort by Islamabad reflects precisely such a moment. By positioning Pakistan as a peacemaker in a volatile region like Middle East, the military establishment has sought to rebrand the country’s global image and more importantly its very own for domestic consumption where its legitimacy has suffered gravely in recent years. For decades, Pakistan has struggled under the weight of reputational damage due to its duplicitous role during the US-led global war on terror, its use of militant proxies against neighbours and its unending economic crises. As such, a successful diplomatic intervention or even the perception of one is being seen as a possible pathway to rehabilitate that image.

The domestic dimension is even more consequential. Asim........

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