ON the 24th day of the war, a surprising development occurred.

Donald Trump, who had previously claimed he could erase Iran from the map, hinted at a ceasefire. Whether this hint will materialize into reality remains open for discussion, but alongside this theatre, another one is unfolding. Pakistan is gaining significance with each passing moment. The latest news suggests that Pakistan could potentially host talks to end the Gulf conflict. When Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif tweeted about this, President Trump retweeted it. This indicates that Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir had already spoken to President Trump over the phone.

How did this happen? Attention naturally turns to the May war when Pakistan’s growing global importance is mentioned, a war made even more interesting by President Trump’s counting of the downed Rafale jets. He would report the numbers every week, sometimes two to three times a week. The numbers, which started at five or six, eventually rose to twelve. This was clearly an intriguing situation. It enhanced Pakistan’s significance, but it was more than that. Last June, when........

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