In the noisy echo chambers of modern geopolitics—where hashtags masquerade as analysis and half-formed opinions travel faster than facts—it has become fashionable to demand that countries “pick a side.” Pakistan, in the context of the ongoing Gulf crisis, is no exception. From hyper-partisan online activists to ideologically driven commentators and some Western analysts, there is a persistent attempt to frame Pakistan’s role in binary terms: either it stands with one camp or against the other.

And there seems to be an attempt to paint it as something more than a mediator, making promises or giving guarantees to one side or the other, that any mediator could not possibly keep or ensure. This narrative is being built not on the basis of any tangible evidence or official confirmation, but on hearsay and unnamed or anonymous sources.

This framing is not only simplistic, but it is possibly motivated; either way, it is fundamentally wrong. Pakistan’s position is neither ambiguous nor opportunistic. It is rooted in a clear, rational, and pressing national interest: peace.

The idea that Pakistan has something to gain by aligning itself fully with one side in the Gulf conflict betrays a deep misunderstanding of both geography and statecraft. Pakistan is not a distant observer insulated from the consequences of war. It shares a long and sensitive border with Iran, a country with which it also has deep historical, cultural, and religious ties. Instability in Iran is not an abstract concern for Pakistan—it is a direct security, economic, and social risk.

This reality alone explains why Pakistan is not merely interested in the conflict—it is invested in its resolution.

At the same time, Pakistan’s economic vulnerabilities make the continuation........

© The Friday Times