‘A collective hope’: Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy highlights importance of the Islamabad Talks

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy believes negotiations between the United States and Iran in Islamabad mark a pivotal moment in the history of the region and beyond.

In a series of Instagram stories, she called the moment one where “the world holds its breath” and said the Islamabad Talks serve as a reminder that “peace is not inevitable, it is a choice”.

Recalling a childhood lesson from her grandfather, the filmmaker said, “It’s easy to raise your fists. It’s much harder to open your hands and make peace.”

Referring to the historical animosity between the two warring states, Chinoy said it had shaped conflicts, economies and lives in the decades following 1979 when Iran’s Islamic Revolution overthrew the pro-US Mohammad Shah Reza Pahlavi.

Whole generations, she said, grew up under the shadow of the conflict, which is why the meeting was so crucial.

The filmmaker said today wasn’t just about diplomacy or strategy, “It’s about preventing escalation in a world already stretched thin.” She said Pakistan was owed due credit for bringing both sides to the table, demonstrating “not just leadership”, but “responsibility in action”.

Touching on the possible results of the mediation, Chinoy said, “A breakthrough here wouldn’t just be a win for two countries, it would be a win for humanity.” If, however, the talks broke down, she said the consequences would be dire, possibly plunging the world into the abyss of war once more.

So, she said, today millions across the world must come together in quiet prayer for peace to prevail.

Final preparations are underway in Pakistan’s capital to host the major diplomatic summit aimed at ending the month-long war between the US and Iran.

A high-powered Iranian delegation from Tehran, led by the speaker of the Iranian parliament, landed in Islamabad late on Friday night. Washington’s team, led by the US vice president, has also landed, with talks set to take place today (Saturday).