The Verdict: Peace for Iran, pressure on Afghanistan: Pakistan’s contradictory diplomacy
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "The Verdict: Peace for Iran, pressure on Afghanistan: Pakistan’s contradictory diplomacy")
Asim Munir and Shehbaz Sharif Photograph: (AFP)
Pakistan seeks a peacemaker role in the Iran conflict, but military action and civilian deaths in Afghanistan raise questions over Islamabad’s credibility
Pakistan wants the world to see it as a peacemaker in the US-Iran war. Well, you cannot present yourself as a peacemaker while continuing to kill civilians in Afghanistan. Even though Asim Munir and Shehbaz Sharif have portrayed themselves as the peacemakers to US President Donald trump, their own backyard has skeletons of civilians, including children and women, buried. The right to defend yourself does not give any government a free pass to put civilian lives at risk.
Pakistan's credibility has always been questionable. If Islamabad is calling for restraint and dialogue in the Iran conflict, then those same principles must apply to Afghanistan. Peace in Iran, but military pressure on Afghanistan: Munir's actions continue to contradict his own position. If Pakistan genuinely wants to play the role of mediator in West Asia, it should first demonstrate that it can apply the same standards to its own neighbourhood.
Pakistan does not have to choose between defending its people and respecting Afghan civilians. A responsible state is expected to do both. You see, the real test of diplomacy is not what you say when the world's cameras are watching. It is what you do when dealing with your own neighbours. Credibility is earned through consistent action, not dramatic and diplomatic speeches.
You cannot demand restraint from others while using force against your innocents. If Pakistan wants to be taken seriously as a regional peacemaker, it must first show that peace is a principle, not a position it adopts only when it suits its interests.
Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.
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