Nixon to Trump: Pakistan’s long record as backchannel between rival powers

In March 2026, Pakistan is acting as a backchannel between the US and Iran, relaying a US ceasefire proposal to Tehran amidst escalating tensions. This role echoes Pakistan's historical diplomatic efforts, including brokering the secret US-China backchannel in 1971. US negotiator Steve Witkoff confirmed Pakistan's role in transferring messages between Washington and Tehran. President Trump has since announced a pause on threatened strikes against Iranian power plants, citing a request from the Iranian government. Pakistan's involvement follows the US-Israeli air campaign "Operation Epic Fury" and includes Prime Minister Sharif and Army Chief Munir engaging with Iranian and Saudi leaders. Pakistan has a long history of mediating between rival powers.

Pakistan has positioned itself as a potential mediator between the United States and Iran, offering to facilitate negotiations. The article references past meetings between Pakistani and Iranian leaders, including Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and President Ebrahim Raisi in May 2023. A photo also shows President Donald Trump listening to Prime Minister Sharif at a summit in Egypt in October 2025, focused on the Israel-Hamas war. The article also includes a photo of paramilitary soldiers at the U.S. Consulate in Karachi after a protest in March 2026. The reasons behind Pakistan's emergence as a mediator are not explicitly stated in the provided text.