PAKISTAN’S UNLIKELY STARRING ROLE
Pakistan’s value as a mediator rests on an unusually broad diplomatic network.
Iran was the first country to recognise Pakistan following independence in 1947, with the two neighbours sharing a 900km border and deep historical, cultural and religious ties.
Pakistan is also home to over 20 million Shia Muslims: the second-largest such population in the world after Iran.
Islamabad has cultivated strong ties with Washington, Riyadh and Beijing.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar visited Beijing at the end of March for talks with Wang Yi, who backed Islamabad’s mediation efforts as “in keeping with the common interests of all parties”.
Trump himself told AFP that China helped bring Iran to the negotiating table, an account backed by Pakistani officials.
“On ceasefire night, hopes were fading, but China stepped in and convinced Iran to agree to a preliminary ceasefire,” a senior Pakistani official familiar with the negotiations told AFP on condition of anonymity.