This is what The<\/em> Independent<\/em> wrote in its analysis<\/a> after Islamabad brokered a ceasefire<\/a> between the United States and Iran in the early morning hours of Wednesday.<\/p>\n On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump warned that a \u201cwhole civilisation will die\u201d and gave Iran an ultimatum to make a deal. Barely an hour before his deadline was set to expire, both Washington and Tehran agreed to a two-week pause in hostilities along with a temporary reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n The development came after PM Shehbaz urged Trump to extend his deadline for two weeks to allow diplomacy a chance, which was ultimately accepted by the latter.<\/p>\n Islamabad will host talks between both the countries in the upcoming days to reach a long-term solution to the conflict. While the ceasefire has brought relief for almost every country on the planet, many say it has also pushed Pakistan into the role of a \u201cpeacemaker\u201d.<\/p>\n In its analysis, The Independent<\/em> noted that Pakistan\u2019s role in pulling the Gulf back from the brink \u201ccould mark one of its most significant diplomatic achievements in years, and it is one that has been welcomed throughout the region\u201d, even among commentators in archrival India.<\/p>\n \u201cPakistan\u2019s involvement was at least partly driven by self-interest. The South Asian nation is heavily dependent on energy imports and has faced severe fuel shortages due to the war, as well as disruptions to remittances from its sizeable population working in the Middle East.<\/p>\n \u201cEven so, the optics of the ceasefire are significant for Pakistan on the world stage,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n The analysis also attributed the feat to the \u201cimportance of Trump\u2019s personal relationship\u201d with the Pakistani military.<\/p>\n While Trump has agreed to the ceasefire, he earlier derided the 10-point plan by Iran\u2019s Supreme National Security Council in which Tehran demanded the right to coordinate all cross-Strait of Hormuz traffic.<\/p>\n And here is where Pakistan steps in with its newfound role.<\/p>\n \u201cIt will be up to Pakistan, which brokered an agreement for the US and Iran to hold talks starting Friday, to clear this up \u2014 if the deal lasts that long.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Islamabad government, which has shrewdly used its friendships in Tehran and Washington, must fashion off-ramps neither Trump nor Iran could find themselves,\u201d Stephen Collinson of the CNN<\/em> wrote in his analysis<\/a> of the latest developments.<\/p>\n Even though clarity on the ceasefire is yet to emerge, \u201cPakistan nevertheless deserves a tremendous amount of credit for having the guts to stick out its neck and offer its diplomatic services\u201d, reported<\/a> Bloomberg<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cPakistan\u2019s success as a mediator in the Iran conflict stems in large part from its increasingly close ties with the Trump administration,\u201d it noted, adding that Islamabad, at the same time, also has \u201cwarm ties\u201d with Iran and other Gulf states which motivated the country to \u201cfind a resolution to the fighting to avoid being dragged into the conflict itself\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cBesides enhancing its geopolitical clout, Pakistan also has economic reasons to get involved. Iran\u2019s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has jammed up energy supplies globally, leaving Pakistan vulnerable given its sizeable imports of oil and liquefied natural gas that pass through the waterway.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, with the ceasefire, Pakistan is seeking to ease economic pressure while also capitalising on its newfound geopolitical standing,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n The report concluded: \u201cWhat stands out is Pakistan\u2019s repositioning from a peripheral actor to a credible intermediary capable of convening adversaries.\u201d<\/p>\n Neutrality makes \u201ceconomic sense\u201d for Pakistan, reported<\/a> France 24<\/em>. The country relies on oil and gas imports through the Strait of Hormuz and \u201cwants to avoid getting dragged into further conflict on its doorstep\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cContinued disruption would have worsened fuel supplies, driven up prices and forced further austerity measures for the cash-strapped government.<\/p>\n \u201cA permanent end to the war would not only boost regional stability but also Pakistan\u2019s international standing at a time when it is locked in armed conflict with neighbouring Afghanistan and less than a year after it traded strikes with archrival India,\u201d the media outlet wrote.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Pakistan\u2019s ties with both Washington and Tehran \u2014 countries that do not have direct diplomatic relations \u2014 leveraged Islamabad a \u201cunique position\u201d to open lines of communication that otherwise remained shut, noted<\/a> Gulf News<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe strategy was deliberate: stay publicly neutral, but privately engage all sides. Pakistan\u2019s role representing Iranian interests in Washington gave it rare institutional access, while its long-standing ties with the US ensured credibility with American leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n The report further noted that even though the high-level meeting of foreign ministers that was held in Islamabad last month did not visibly appear to be a success, \u201cPakistan quietly intensified its outreach in the days that followed\u201d.<\/p>\n It added that while challenges still remain, for now, \u201cthe ceasefire marks a significant diplomatic win for Islamabad, underscoring how sustained, quiet engagement can influence the trajectory of a fast-moving and high-stakes conflict, even as the human and economic costs of the war continue to mount\u201d.<\/p>\n It is striking that a role one might have\u00a0expected India to play \u2014 given its strong relations with all parties involved \u2014 was instead assumed by Pakistan, reported<\/a> The Diplomat<\/em> in its analysis.<\/p>\n It noted that the world has a \u201cnewly prominent diplomatic actor in Pakistan\u201d, adding that the development yields two benefits for the country.<\/p>\n \u201cFirst, its stature as a diplomatic actor has risen considerably [\u2026] Pakistan\u2019s role in brokering this ceasefire has brought it to the centre of international diplomacy rather than its margins.<\/p>\n \u201cSecond, the ceasefire has spared Pakistan a serious strategic dilemma. Considering Iran\u2019s recent strike on Saudi Arabia, any Saudi decision to escalate and invoke its mutual defense understanding with Pakistan could have forced Islamabad to choose between abandoning its neutrality toward Iran or undermining its longstanding relationship with Saudi Arabia. The timing of this ceasefire has spared Pakistan from having to make that choice,\u201d the analysis said.<\/p>\n<\/a>The Independent<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/a>CNN<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/a>Bloomberg<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/a>Gulf News<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/a>The Diplomat<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/a>TRT World<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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