In between the headlines and breaking news on the Iran-Israel ceasefire, one country stayed largely out of the spotlight but played its part with quiet confidence: Pakistan. While global attention was fixed on the power moves of Washington and Tehran, Islamabad chose the path of working steadily behind the scenes. It didn't chase headlines or dramatic gestures, but its calm and calculated approach became a case study on how a middle power can still make a meaningful difference when it sticks to smart, steady diplomacy.

For all the noise made about great power politics, the Middle East remains a region where missteps by even peripheral actors can have oversized consequences. Nonetheless, in a climate where strikes and bluster existed, Pakistan opted to move with caution and calm. It denounced Israeli aggression at a remarkably early stage, supported Iran and, most importantly, did not fall into the trap of escalating its discourse so that it was beyond use in terms of........

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