A nation between adversaries

PAKISTAN is currently in the global spotlight for mediating between the United States and Iran. Islamabad’s rigorous mediation efforts helped bring about a much-needed ceasefire between the US and Iran in April, which culminated in the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding in June 2026. Analysts see the current mediatory position as a new shift in Pakistan’s foreign policy priorities, with Islamabad attempting to assert itself as a middle power and a relevant strategic player in Middle Eastern geopolitics. However, a comprehensive historical analysis reveals that mediation has remained one of Pakistan’s most essential foreign policy imperatives. Pakistan has long adopted an active strategy of mediation to prevent, manage, and settle disputes in the Middle East and within its immediate western neighbourhood. Far from being a passive regional actor, Islamabad has often positioned itself as a mediator in conflicts ranging from great-power rivalries to intra-Muslim problems. This approach is based on a deliberate foreign policy calculus determined by geography, strategic alliances, and the need to protect national interests while expanding diplomatic influence beyond South Asia. The logic behind Pakistan’s mediating role The primary strategic motive behind Pakistan’s mediation diplomacy is the need to keep regional disputes from spilling over onto its own borders. Unlike great powers, which may approach mediation largely for geopolitical or ideological reasons, Pakistan’s security is immediately influenced by conflicts in its near neighbourhood. Regional conflicts have historically been accompanied by refugee flows, cross-border terrorism, interruption of trade routes, arms trafficking, narcotics smuggling, and humanitarian crises, all of which have imposed significant economic and security costs on Pakistan. For Islamabad, mediation, therefore, constitutes a preventive tactic meant to contain problems before they evolve into greater challenges to Pakistan itself. Afgha