Prudent diplomacy

2026-03-04 - 20:23

ON sensitive issues open and media diplomacy is never considered a preferred choice but it was, perhaps, because of internal dynamics of the emerging geo-strategic situation in the region that prompted Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to take the parliament into confidence on Pakistan’s role and efforts aimed at de-escalation in the face of widening conflict in the Gulf. He informed the upper house of Parliament on Tuesday that Pakistan is actively working to promote de-escalation between the United States and Iran through diplomatic engagement and backchannel contacts and that minimal or no quick reaction of Iran against Saudi Arabia after the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint US-Israel air strike was a result of Pakistan’s Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia. No doubt, in a highly complicated scenario, Pakistan has a limited leverage but it is because of its prudent diplomacy that its point of view is listened to seriously by the parties concerned and as disclosed by Mr. Dar its efforts produced positive results last year when a war was imposed on Iran by Israel and the United States bombed Iranian nuclear sites. Now again, the country is actively trying to help defuse the crisis and it is a matter of satisfaction that its Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia is establishing its relevance in promoting peace. Iran responded positively to Pakistani advice not to carry out attacks against the Kingdom (as these will have implications for Pakistan) subject to assurance that Saudi Arabia will not allow its territory to be used against Iran, which was given by Pakistan after taking up the matter with Riyadh. An attack on a Saudi oil refinery had raised alarm bells for people and the Government of Pakistan as the country has obligations if the Kingdom comes under attack. Iranian understanding of the delicate issue is appreciable but otherwise too Tehran has distanced itself from the refinery attack, which might be the handwork of foreign agents active to create confusion and mistrust among countries of the region. In fact, Tehran must have avoided attacks against economic and infrastructure targets of the Gulf countries as such a reaction to the joint invasion of the US and Israel has deprived it of a possible collective stand of the Ummah against this naked aggression. As for Pakistan, the explanation given by the Deputy Prime Minister effectively dispelled the impression being created by some vested interests that the country was not doing enough in the given situation. Pakistan’s logic, which was also conveyed to the United States, that the US demand for zero enrichment was not appropriate as Iran has the right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy had the potential to form the basis for peaceful resolution of the standoff but shifting stand of the United States pushed the region to the war. The United States, at the behest of Israel, insisted on complete dismantling of the Iranian nuclear and missile programme, which was apparently not acceptable to Tehran. As the war proceeds and Iranian strategy is impacting upon regional and global security and economic environment, the United States is feeling increasing isolation as is evident from the position adopted by Spain and the UK with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez condemning the US-Israeli attack as ‘a breach of international law’, and British PM Keir Starmer said he did not believe in “regime change from the skies”. There are reasons to believe that in view of strong defiance of the Iranian people and their resolve to safeguard sovereignty and territorial integrity of their motherland, the United States and Israel will never be able to achieve their nefarious objectives except killing people on the strength of their technological edge and history will not forgive them for this.