Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that Islamabad would host delegations from the United States and Iran later this week following their ceasefire announcement.
“I… extend deepest gratitude to the leadership of both the countries and invite their delegations to Islamabad on Friday, 10th April 2026 , to further negotiate for a conclusive agreement to settle all disputes,” he said in a post on X.
Pakistan’s Mediating Role
Pakistan, which has forged a close relationship with US President Donald Trump and is sensitive to developments in neighbouring Iran, has emerged as a channel for messaging between Tehran and Washington in recent weeks.
“We earnestly hope that the ‘Islamabad Talks’ succeed in achieving sustainable peace and wish to share more good news in coming days,” Sharif said.
The Ceasefire
Both Tehran and Washington said they had agreed to a two-week ceasefire barely an hour before Trump’s deadline to obliterate Iran was set to expire.
The war began when Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran that killed its supreme leader on 28 February , sparking retaliatory attacks from Tehran on Gulf nations and Israel.
Sharif said the ceasefire applied “everywhere” including Lebanon, though Israel later said it would not stop its operations there against Hezbollah militants.
The Mediators
Sharif said China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt and Qatar had all provided “support towards reaching the ceasefire and giving peaceful diplomatic efforts a chance.”
The Pakistani leader also thanked Arab Gulf nations for their “commitment to peace and stability in the region.”
Why Pakistan?
Despite trading missile fire with Iran two years ago and holding an at-times rocky relationship with the United States, Pakistan currently shares warm ties with both countries.
Pakistan is home to the world’s second-biggest Shia Muslim population after Iranwith which it shares a 900-kilometre (560-mile) border and represents some Iranian diplomatic interests in Washington where Tehran has no embassy.
The Bottom Line
The ceasefire is signed. The delegations are coming. Islamabad is hosting.
Pakistan has emerged as a mediator. The “Islamabad Talks” could shape the future of the region.
The world is watching.
