Col (r) Ikram Ullah Khan
The peace initiative taken by Pakistan almost a month ago has borne fruit and a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran has been agreed to with immediate effect allowing both sides to resolve the long simmering problem peacefully through negotiations. The intense diplomatic efforts undertaken by Pakistan, although sounded a mission impossible to bring the US and Iran to a negotiating table in order to avert further military escalation leading to destruction of biblical proportions, has finally been successful by the grace of Allah.
The entire region, nay, the whole world was standing on the brink of unimaginable catastrophe as both the US and Iran were not prepared to meet each other halfway and find a middle ground which could pave the way for peace. The excessive hubris displayed by the US had made it a matter of honour and ego making it well-nigh impossible for both sides to kneel down. President Trump was facing a catch-22 situation; neither could he go ahead with his destructive mission nor could backtrack from what he asserted before the world boastfully so many times. For Iran, it had become an existential issue.
In such a grim security scenario, Pakistan’s peace efforts through a discreet diplomacy as an ambassador of peace came as a ray of hope and was appreciated and backed by all including US president Donald Trump who acknowledged Pakistan’s positive role in this regard and thanked PM Shahbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir by name in his tweet on “Truth Social”. By the grace of Allah, Pakistan has become an epicentre of world attention and has been brought to the spotlight by its leadership as a great country with a significant diplomatic clout; and the positive role it has been playing during the past one month is being widely acclaimed by the world at large with a positive and appreciative tone. Allah (SWT) has been extremely kind to bestow this honour on Pakistan.
“O Allah! Lord over all authorities! You give authority to whoever You please and snatch it from whoever You please; You honour whoever You please and dishonour whoever You please; all good is in Your Hands”. (Surah Aal e Imran verse 26)
Although, the looming danger of a projected upscale catastrophic US attack on Iran and a probable matching response from Iran resulting in mutual annihilation has been averted for the time being with two-week temporary ceasefire allowing diplomacy to work and resolve the problem through negotiations, nothing could be said with certainty given the mercurial disposition of President Trump and also because of Israeli prime minister Netanyahu’s tortuous move which has pushed both the US and Iran to the cataclysmic war. Being the sole beneficiary of the conflict, Netanyahu seems determined not to let both the countries come to a truce and find a permanent peaceful solution of the issue.
It’s about time the UN as a world peace watchdog, despite the fact that its role has been absolutely minimal to bring peace so far, and the OIC which represents 57 Islamic countries but unfortunately, has turned out to be a toothless organization, came forward and played courageous role to buttress the peace initiative taken by Pakistan despite all odds against, and prevailed upon the US and Iran to shed their unbending position and belligerent posture and come to a solution which could be mutually acceptable and provide a face saving to both. In this regard, China and Russia being major world powers with considerable clout, can play a crucial role.
During the devastating war so ingeniously choreographed by Israeli prime minister Netanyahu to make the Gulf countries jump into the fray and fight against Iran with full military might, the restraint shown by the Gulf nations despite Iran’s ruthless attack on them is praiseworthy. They have played very safely and acted very wisely by refraining from forming part of this war, thereby frustrating the evil motives of Israeli prime minister Netanyahu. In this regard, the extraordinary role played by Pakistan can’t and shouldn’t be underestimated. Pakistan successfully convinced Saudi Arabia, UAE and other Gulf countries to keep themselves away from direct armed conflict with Iran, a trap so slyly laid by Israel.
It’s hoped that good sense would prevail and both the US and Iran come to terms with each other shedding their die-hardisn which may bring nothing but a total decimation not only to Iran but to the entire region with it’s reverberations felt by the entire world. The world is intensely feeling the crippling economic fallout of the war due to the closure of the strategically located Strait of Hormuz through which 20 per cent crude oil is being shipped and supplied to the world. Any further continuation of the conflict will bring disaster not only to the region but the entire world too will suffer the catastrophic consequences.
