Tharoor mocks Pakistan’s mediating role in Iran crisis, suggests it's more a proxy than power
A forgotten 'draft' label on Pakistan's PM's X post became the most revealing diplomatic slip of the Iran ceasefire, and the Congress MP wasn't going to let it go
As Pakistan was busy rolling out red carpets to representatives from the US and Iran, the two nations that are in the middle of a fragile two-week ceasefire, projecting itself as a mediating power, former minister of state for foreign affairs Shashi Tharoor mocked Islamabad’s role and the nature of its ties with the US.
Tharoor mocks Pak PM's 'draft' post
The Congress leader, who is also a former United Nations diplomat, particularly ridiculed Pakistan over its Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent post on X highlighting his country’s mediating role, which included the edit-history header “Draft – Pakistan’s PM Message on X”. That part was later removed.
Also read: Pakistan's Vishwaguru moment? It's a narrow escape, not ceasefire
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, the veteran leader pointed out the differences between India’s strategies in the ongoing West Asian crisis and Pakistan’s alleged compulsions. He also defended the Indian government’s stance on the matter.
Taking a dig at Sharif’s post, Tharoor asked, “Do you know what kind of relationship Pakistan has with Washington?”
He said allegations are galore that the post shared by the Pakistani leader was written by people in the US. “If you and I wrote something for the Indian prime minister, would we write 'draft for India's PM' above it?” he said, while addressing the reporters.
Also saying that the post from Sharif was similar to that used by US President Donald Trump just hours before, Tharoor said only Pakistan could play the kind of role it has played with the US.
'No competition between India, Pak on Iran'
The MP, however, said that there was no strategic competition between India and Pakistan over mediating for peace in West Asia. He said Islamabad’s stakes are different from New Delhi's in the crisis since Pakistan has a long border with Iran, and a deteriorating scenario in the West Asian nation could see a wave of refugees knocking on Pakistan’s doors.
Also read: Trump blinks, ceasefire is brokered, but Iran has a warning; what next?
Tharoor, whose deepfake was seen circulating on social media a few days ago praising Pakistan over its role in Iran and criticising the Narendra Modi government’s foreign policy, said peace should prevail no matter who mediates, citing the conflict’s severe impact on the energy sector, including in India.
Congress continues to target Modi govt
Tharoor’s party, meanwhile, renewed its attack on the Centre, saying how Pakistan could find itself in a position of a mediator and indirectly targeted PM Modi, alleging the “self-declared Vishwaguru’s huglomacy” did not bring the desired results for India.
Jaishankar's 'India no broker' remark
It may be mentioned here that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in March at a multi-party meeting in New Delhi. There, he said that India will not choose to position itself as a mediator or “broker” in international disputes, countering narratives that are being pushed around Pakistan’s so-called elevated diplomatic clout in the Iran issue. According to him, New Delhi’s approach is rooted in working for resolutions and not in inserting itself into negotiations.
Jaishankar also said that Modi flagged the wider impact of the conflict during a conversation with US President Donald Trump recently and sought a swift end to the crisis, noting that the situation was hurting all stakeholders.
US asked Pak to mediate: Report
But how robust is Pakistan’s mediating role, and could it bring real changes for the better? The Financial Times reported on Wednesday (April 8), citing sources, that the US pursued the idea of a temporary ceasefire amidst Trump’s growing threats and claims that it was “begging” for a deal.
According to the sources, the report said, the Trump administration was banking on Islamabad, with which its ties have improved since the India-Pakistan air skirmishes in May last year, to convince the Iranian side to accept a ceasefire that would allow for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which has become a prestige issue for the White House now.
Also read: Mamata hits back over Pakistan threat to Kolkata, seeks Modi's resignation
“Pakistan’s crucial role, as a Muslim-majority neighbour and intermediary, was to sell it to Tehran,” the Times report added.
Trump, concerned about rising oil prices ahead of this year’s midterm elections, and taken aback by the tenacity of the Iranian regime, had been keen on achieving a ceasefire since at least his initial threat on March 21 to “obliterate” Iran's power facilities, five individuals knowledgeable about the Pakistan-led back channel told the news outlet.
Pakistani Field Marshal Asim Munir also initiated a series of calls to high-ranking US officials, including Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. The last two reached Pakistan, besides others, for the talks with the Iranian side, which has been represented by the country’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi; Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the Iranian parliament; Ali Akbar Ahmadian, a veteran commander with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, among others.