Kamal Ghorui
As US President Donald Trump edged closer to his self-imposed 48-hour deadline for possible military action against Iran, an unusual social media post by Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, briefly uploaded as a “draft”, raised questions over whether Washington used Islamabad to signal an off-ramp before announcing a ceasefire. According to The New York Times, Sharif’s appeal posted on X seeking a two-week pause in hostilities was not spontaneous. The statement, which said diplomacy was “progressing steadily, strongly and powerfully” and urged Trump to extend his deadline, had already been seen and cleared by the White House before it was made public, suggesting coordinated backchannel messaging.The post briefly appeared with the header “Draft – Pakistan’s PM Message on X” before being edited, fuelling speculation. Despite the correction, the message remained unchanged, including the line: “We also urge all warring parties to observe a ceasefire everywhere for two weeks,” and a call for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.Another report by Financial Times said Washington had been working through Islamabad for weeks to broker a pause, with Pakistan’s role being “to sell it to Tehran”. The outreach involved Pakistan’s military leadership, including Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, who was in contact with senior US officials and Iranian counterparts.The report said the US believed Iran would be more receptive to a proposal conveyed by a Muslim-majority neighbour that had maintained neutrality during the conflict. Sharif made the proposal public after consultations, including contacts with Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi.Within hours of the post, Washington and Tehran confirmed a two-week ceasefire, stepping back from escalation. Trump, who had earlier warned of sweeping strikes if Iran failed to comply, said, “A two week period will allow the Agreement to be finalised,” and indicated that conversations with Pakistan’s leadership influenced the pause.While a White House official denied that Trump authored Sharif’s statement, the episode reflected how active diplomatic channels were even as public rhetoric escalated.Iran has since agreed to begin talks with the US in Islamabad, with the proposed framework reportedly linked to reopening the Strait of Hormuz. However, differences remain over elements of Iran’s plan, particularly around its nuclear programme, and sporadic strikes have continued across the region despite the ceasefire announcement.
