AMIDST the growing uncertainties and unpredictabilites, entailed by the Middle East war crisis, Islamabad has now emerged as an epicentre of global peace and diplomacy as it has offered to host critical peace talks between Washington and Tehran to be scheduled on April 10, 2026.

The significance of this historical development lies in Pakistan’s pivotal success in managing a temporary ceasefire between the adversaries. This shift underscores Pakistan’s growing global strategic influence amid regional tensions, particularly in efforts to de-escalate conflicts. Moreover, Islamabad’s neutral stance and diplomatic outreach reflect a calculated move to enhance regional stability and global relevance. Needless to say, the international community was highly concerned and alarmed by President Trump’s fierce warning to blow Iran back to the Stone Age. Thus, Pakistan’s diplomacy played a crucial role by making a historic headway. With a conditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a window of durable peace opportunity is profoundly created by Iran.

On 8 April, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that Pakistan has played an instrumental role in facilitating a proposed two-week ceasefire between Iran and the US-Israel coalition following a severe escalation in the conflict, which saw strikes on Iranian infrastructure starting late February 2026. Sharif appealed directly to US President Donald Trump to extend a deadline for military action against Iran and requested Iran to maintain the opening of the Strait of Hormuz to allow diplomacy to proceed. Premier Sharif has formally offered to host delegations from both Iran and the United States in Islamabad for negotiations aimed at reaching........

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