‘Only Pakistan can play such a role’: Tharoor slams Islamabad over Iran-US mediation

New Delhi: Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor Islamabad was mocked on Saturday as it brokered talks between Iran and the United States, underscoring the Pakistan Prime Minister’s accusations Shehbaz SharifThe X post was drafted by Washington.Talking to reporters, Tharoor said, “Do you know what kind of relationship Pakistan has with Washington… There are accusations that Washington wrote this tweet for the Pakistan Prime Minister because it was titled ‘Draft Prime Minister of Pakistan’.

“If you and I wrote something for the Prime Minister of India, would we write on it ‘Draft Prime Minister of India’? And the language used was also the language of Washington. And, some of the phrases were similar to those used by Donald Trump a few hours earlier. Only Pakistan can play the role it plays with Washington,” he added.A few days ago, Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif briefly posted a “draft” message on the Iran conflict on his official X account, then quickly edited it. The post, which called for a ceasefire and diplomatic pause for two weeks, came as the United States and Iran moved toward a temporary truce.In both versions, Sharif urged Donald Trump to extend the deadline for military action by two weeks to allow progress in negotiations. He also called on Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz during the same period, calling it a goodwill gesture. “We also urge all warring parties to observe a two-week ceasefire everywhere,” the post read, calling the ceasefire crucial for “long-term peace and stability in the region.”Within hours, Washington and Tehran confirmed they had agreed to a two-week ceasefire, taking a step back from the brink of a serious escalation.The breakthrough came after a dramatic U-turn by Trump, who had earlier threatened a sweeping strike on Iranian infrastructure if Tehran did not meet his demands. Instead, he paused the planned attack shortly before his own deadline, saying the decision was based on conversations with Sharif and Pakistan’s military leadership. “Two weeks will allow the deal to be finalized,” Trump said, expressing cautious optimism.Meanwhile, U.S. and Iranian delegations arrived in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Saturday to hold peace talks over ongoing wars in the Middle East. A 71-member Iranian delegation led by Speaker Bagher Ghalibaf, including the country’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi, arrived in the Pakistani capital earlier in the day. The U.S. Middle East envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived at noon. The U.S. delegation was led by U.S. Vice President Vance.