JAKARTA - Pakistan offered to host negotiations between the United States and Iran to end the war in the Gulf region. The offer was made by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday, March 24, when Islamabad began to take up space amid the deadlock in many countries' communication lines with Tehran and Washington.
Dilansir dari Arab News, Rabu, 25 Maret yang mengutip Reuters, melaporkan Sharif menyatakan Pakistan siap memfasilitasi perundingan jika disetujui kedua pihak. Pernyataan itu disampaikan sehari setelah Presiden AS Donald Trump menunda ancaman menyerang pembangkit listrik Iran dan menyebut telah ada pembicaraan yang "produktif".
Through a post on X, Sharif said Pakistan fully supports efforts to end the war. "With the consent of the US and Iran, Pakistan is ready and honored to host a meaningful and thorough negotiation for a comprehensive settlement," Sharif said.
The offer is not without reason. Pakistan still has direct communication lines with Washington and Tehran, when similar channels are closed for many other countries. This position makes Islamabad considered to have the capital to appear as a mediator.
According to Arab News, Pakistan is also interested in preventing an expanding war. The country borders Iran directly, has the second largest Shiite Muslim population in the world after Iran, and has been affected by disruptions in fuel supplies since the conflict broke out.
Still according to Reuters, quoted by Arab News, Islamabad has delivered at least six messages between the US and Iran since the war began. In fact, before Sharif announced the offer, two sources said officials from the two countries could meet in Islamabad this weekend.
In the past month, Sharif and the Pakistani Foreign Minister have recorded more than 30 communications with officials in the Middle East, including about six times with Iran. At the same time, the closeness of the Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir with Trump also strengthened Islamabad's position.
For Pakistan, this move is not just a diplomatic maneuver. If negotiations really happen, Islamabad has the opportunity to raise its weight in regional calculations, while holding the risk of war from spilling over into its own territory.
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