There are different interpretations of who it is, effectively ending the war that the Washington-Tel Aviv coalition started in late February.
All parties, however, advocate the crucial and absolutely positive role played by Pakistan in defusing one of the most important diplomatic crises the Middle East has experienced in recent years.
Flexibility
It is recalled that the 74-year-old Sharif became prime minister for the first time in April 2022, after the ouster of his predecessor Imran Khan. He served as prime minister until August 2023 and returned to the post in March 2024. He comes from a historically upper-middle-class family and is the brother of three-time prime minister and leader of the conservative Muslim League party, Nawaz Sharif.
The “key” to his diplomatic competence should be sought in the relationship he has built with both parties involved.
As for Tehran, . The two Islamic republics share a common border of 909 kilometers and in the past have cooperated several times to suppress separatist movements, such as the Baloch Liberation Front which operates in both territories.
As for Donald Trump, his return to the Oval Office marked the beginning of a multifaceted and effective approach on Sharif’s part. An approach that, among other things, included the proposal to award the Nobel Peace Prize to the American president and the handing over of a member of the jihadist organization ISIS-K, who is accused of the bomb attack that claimed the lives of thirteen soldiers during the withdrawal of American troops, in August 2021. But also the signing of an agreement between the finance minister of Pakistan and the company cryptocurrency World Liberty Financial, which is majority owned by all male members of the Trump family (i.e. the US president and his sons Eric, Donald Jr. and Barron).
It is a diplomatic method that, although heterodox, seems to be paying off over time. “Pakistan was and is willing to use unconventional diplomatic tactics that score points in Washington — including excessive flattery,” stressed Mike Kugelman, a fellow at the Atlantic Council think tank, speaking to the New York Times last April when asked to explain the role of the country’s leadership in the then-truce that paved the way for negotiations.
Duets and conclusions
Success should certainly not be perceived as a man’s affair. An equally important role in ending the conflict was Field Marshal Asim Munir, who last December was promoted to commander-in-chief, a position charged with overall oversight of the armed forces. In a country that in less than 80 years of life counts three coups (1958, 1977, 1999), and the peaceful coexistence of political and military power is not considered a given, the cooperation of the two men was more than a necessary condition for the success of the diplomatic recipe.
“Pakistan’s mediation capacity benefited from a coordination between political leadership and security diplomacy, which helped stakeholders understand that their messages through Pakistan would be understood. The result was not simply a peace treaty, but a framework designed to avoid escalation and create room for negotiations. Sharif provided the political leadership and diplomatic framework, while Munir worked with regional leaders and security institutions involved in crisis management. This whole effort is in itself a diplomatic achievement” notes the Australian researcher.
And he ends by pointing to a more general conclusion, related to the power of the emerging, middle powers of the emerging, multipolar world: “As competition between great powers intensifies, middle powers find opportunities to shape outcomes through mediation. Qatar played a central role in the negotiations involving the US and the Taliban. Oman has repeatedly provided discreet channels of communication between Washington and Tehran in previous periods of tension. Turkey helped mediate the Black Sea Grain Initiative during the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Pakistan’s role in the US-Iran talks fits exactly this pattern.”
