ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – With just under 90 minutes left before US President Donald Trump’s self-imposed deadline to destroy Iran’s “civilisation,” the world held its breath. Then, late Tuesday in Washington, Trump took to his Truth Social platform and announced a sudden reversal: a two‑week ceasefire with Iran, following nearly six weeks of devastating bombing.
Within minutes, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed the truce on X. A global crisis, one that had already claimed more than 2,000 lives in Iran, disrupted a fifth of the world’s oil supply, and threatened to engulf the Middle East, was paused – at least for now.
But beyond the relief, one question dominated: how did two arch‑enemies, deeply distrustful of each other, agree to stop fighting?
The answer, both Washington and Tehran acknowledged, was Pakistan.
‘Brotherly Request’ from Islamabad
In his Truth Social post, Trump said he agreed to the ceasefire “based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, of Pakistan,” adding that the Pakistani leaders had “requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran.”
Araghchi was even more effusive. “On behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran, I express gratitude and appreciation for his dear brothers HE Prime Minister of Pakistan Sharif and HE Field Marshal Munir for their tireless efforts to end the war in the region,” the Iranian foreign minister said, noting that Tehran accepted the ceasefire “in response to the brotherly request of PM Sharif.”
Shortly after, Sharif himself posted on social media, calling it “with the greatest humility” one of Pakistan’s most significant diplomatic achievements in years.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon and elsewhere, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY,” he wrote. He then invited both delegations to Islamabad on Friday “to further negotiate for a conclusive agreement to settle all disputes.”
By Wednesday afternoon, Sharif had spoken directly with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Formal talks are expected to begin in Islamabad on Friday, with a US delegation that could potentially be led by Vice President JD Vance, accompanied by Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and son‑in‑law Jared Kushner – the latter having previously engaged in dialogue with Iran before the war.
A War That Began with a Decapitation Strike
The conflict erupted on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and heavily damaged Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure. The attack, which Iran called an act of war, triggered retaliatory missile and drone launches, threats to close the Strait of Hormuz, and fears of a wider regional conflagration.
Over the following five weeks, more than 2,000 people died in Iran. Oil prices spiked, shipping was disrupted, and Pakistan – which shares a nearly 1,000‑kilometre (620‑mile) border with Iran – found itself caught between its mutual defence pact with Saudi Arabia and rising sectarian tensions at home.
Behind the Scenes: Pakistan’s Delicate Balancing Act
Pakistan’s diplomatic push began almost immediately after the first strikes.
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who is also deputy prime minister, was in Saudi Arabia at an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation meeting when the bombs fell. Within hours, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning the attacks, and Dar personally called Araghchi to convey solidarity.
By March 3, Dar was addressing Pakistan’s Senate. “Pakistan is ready to facilitate dialogue between Washington and Tehran in Islamabad,” he told lawmakers.
At home, however, the situation was volatile. Pakistan’s Shia Muslim population – estimated at 15 to 20 percent of the country’s roughly 250 million people – erupted in protests. On March 1, demonstrators in Karachi tried to storm the US consulate; at least 10 people were killed when police opened fire to disperse the crowd.
As sectarian tensions flared, Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan’s powerful military chief, summoned Shia clerics to Rawalpindi and warned that violence inside Pakistan would not be tolerated. At the same time, Islamabad was fighting an “open war” against the Afghan Taliban, grappling with rising fuel costs, and worrying about remittances from Pakistani workers in Gulf states.
On March 12, Sharif travelled to Jeddah with Munir to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. They expressed “full solidarity” with the kingdom while urging restraint against Iranian attacks on Gulf countries – a careful tightrope walk between Pakistan’s mutual defence pact with Riyadh (signed in September) and its need to avoid a direct confrontation with neighbouring Iran.
Why Pakistan? Trust, Impartiality, and a Long Record
Qamar Cheema, executive director of the Islamabad‑based Sanober Institute, said Pakistan’s early, unequivocal condemnation of the US‑Israeli strikes proved decisive.
“When Pakistan condemned American strikes, that was where Pakistan won over the Iranians as well,” Cheema told Al Jazeera. “This role as a global peacemaker is the result of personal diplomatic investment in Iran and the protection of international law.”
Masood Khan, a former Pakistani ambassador to the United Nations and the United States, noted that regional actors were looking for “reliability, impartiality, consistency, restraint and deliverables.”
“We fit the bill and delivered on all counts,” Khan said. “We did not seek strategic opportunism. We earned their trust.”
Unanswered Questions – But a Path Forward
Despite the ceasefire announcement, significant differences remain. Trump claimed Iran would allow unimpeded transit through the Strait of Hormuz; Araghchi said passage would need to be under the auspices of the Iranian armed forces. It is also unclear whether Lebanon is included in the truce, whether the US has agreed to allow uranium enrichment, or whether Trump has accepted a 10‑point Iranian list of demands or merely agreed to use it as a conversation starter.
What is clear is that Pakistan has emerged as an unlikely but effective mediator – a role it has played before, from the Nixon administration’s opening to China to backchannel talks between rival powers.
For now, the world can breathe. On Friday, when US and Iranian delegations sit down in Islamabad, the real test will begin. But as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif put it: “Pakistan will continue to work for peace, because when the guns fall silent, everyone wins.
