Shuttle diplomacy

Pakistan's mediation efforts to broker perpetual peace between the United States and Iran are now universally acknowledged. It is a marvellous achievement to influence the arch-rivals to get to the table after a destructive onslaught of 40 days that pushed the Middle East to the brink of a disaster, and threatened a global food and energy crisis. Islamabad was there in the midst at a time when world capitals were getting introspective and keeping their fingers crossed. Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif accomplished a novel task as they undertook a shuttle diplomacy to usher in sustainable peace in the region. The three-day visit of the Army Chief to Tehran came at a time when a fragile ceasefire was in place, as the US had undertaken its own unilateral blockade of the Straits of Hormuz in a tit-for-tat with Iran. The fact that the visiting delegate was able to iron out differences after meeting the Iranian President, the Speaker and the commander of Khatamul Anbiya Headquarters was a laudable feat, which resultantly led to a ceasefire in Lebanon too and the reopening of Hormuz for all vessels. Field Marshal Munir rightly underscored the need for dialogue, de-escalation and peaceful resolution of the outstanding issues through sustained diplomatic engagements. The appreciation that his rubbing of shoulders had drawn from the Iranian leaders is a treatise in regional articulation. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, likewise, air-dashed to Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, assuring them that striking a long-term peace deal is inevitable, which was duly recognised as the way to go, paving the way for a second round of talks slated to be held in Islamabad. The ceasefire in vogue till April 22, however, is increasingly getting precarious. There are signals of unrest from both Washington and Tehran, as maximalist positions are unduly propping up. That might be for domestic consumption too. This is where some serious consideration is desired to ensure that the dividends of an uneasy peace are not lost at the hands of brinkmanship. The world community has a responsibility to stand behind Pakistan and let the adversaries agree on permanent congeniality.