For weeks, Pakistan found itself in a peculiar position, desperately wanting to play the role of a noble peacemaker between the US and Iran. It was almost as if they were performing on a grand stage, orchestrating a diplomatic ballet, all while subtly taking cues from Washington. The Iranian delegates, however, weren’t exactly enthusiastic about dancing with their American counterparts. Despite this, Pakistan’s unique civilian-military hybrid regime, with its powerful media and PR arm, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), began spinning tales and drumming up excitement with a flurry of fake alerts and updates. This theatrical performance was so convincing that it even managed to ensnare a major international news agency, drawing them into the elaborate charade.
Indeed, Islamabad did host a hushed meeting, a single round of talks between the two estranged nations. It felt like a desperate attempt by then-US President Donald Trump to disentangle himself from a thorny diplomatic situation, a real catch-22. But the Iranians, ever the shrewd negotiators, played hardball, leaving the prospects of a second round of talks hanging precariously in the air. Yet, Pakistan, ever ambitious for diplomatic relevance, couldn’t simply let go of this coveted mediator role. And so, the play continued, with the military establishment tirelessly working behind the scenes, amplifying their disinformation campaign to paint a picture of progress where, in reality, there was none. It all started with a Friday update, a dramatic announcement from the ISPR on April 24th, proclaiming the imminent arrival of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and the promising restart of peace talks. This carefully crafted message made its way to numerous journalists and media outlets, including a global news wire service, which, taking the bait, published a report based on this seemingly credible “government source” information. The message even went so far as to claim that a US logistics and security team was already in Islamabad, laying the groundwork for these supposedly crucial negotiations.
Now, let’s untangle this web of information. It’s true that Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Aragchi was, indeed, traveling to Pakistan. His arrival conveniently coincided with an announcement from the US that envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were also en route to Islamabad for these “peace talks” on Saturday. The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, even added a layer of anticipation, stating on Friday that US Vice President JD Vance was on standby, ready to jet off to Pakistan if negotiations took a favorable turn. However, here’s where the story takes a turn: Aragchi’s intention was never to engage in face-to-face discussions with US delegates in Islamabad. Tehran, with a touch of clever diplomacy, framed his trip to Pakistan as part of a broader three-nation tour. According to a report by the US news outlet Politico, Aragchi’s itinerary included visits to Oman’s capital, Muscat, and Moscow, all with the stated purpose of “consulting on regional developments.” The evidence of Iran’s true intentions became abundantly clear on Saturday when Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei took to X (formerly Twitter). He announced, “We arrive in Islamabad, Pakistan, for an official visit. FM Araghchi will be meeting with Pakistani high-level officials in concert with their ongoing mediation and good offices for ending American imposed war of aggression and the restitution of peace in our region.” Crucially, he also added, “No meeting is planned to take place between Iran and the US. Iran’s observations would be conveyed to Pakistan.” To further solidify their stance, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, as reported by Reuters citing Iranian media, had a phone conversation with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, explicitly stating that Tehran would not enter “imposed negotiations” under threats or blockades. This statement, of course, carried significant weight given the US Navy’s complete blockade on all Iranian shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a blockade inexplicably maintained despite a supposed indefinite ceasefire with Pakistan. In any event, as per the Politico report, Aragchi spent approximately two hours meeting with Pakistani officials in Islamabad on Saturday, but rather tellingly, he departed the country long before the anticipated arrival of US envoys Witkoff and Kushner. While CNN, citing Iran’s official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), reported that Aragchi would return to Islamabad on Sunday night, it wasn’t for talks with US delegates. The reason? President Trump had, in fact, scrapped the visit by Witkoff and Kushner. He was later quoted by CNN on Saturday, telling reporters, “We’re not going to spend 15 hours in airplanes all the time going back and forth to be giving a document that was not good enough, and so we’ll deal by telephone, and they can call us anytime they want.” The carefully constructed facade was beginning to crumble.
So, the truth of the matter became undeniable: Iranian leaders had plainly informed the Pakistanis that they had no intention of engaging in direct meetings with US delegates unless certain preconditions, such as the lifting of the US blockade on Iranian shipping, were met. Aragchi’s sole purpose in Pakistan was to communicate Tehran’s concerns, expecting Islamabad, in its self-proclaimed role as mediator, to relay these messages to Washington D.C. However, this didn’t deter Pakistan’s ISPR from persistently pushing the narrative that high-stakes talks between Iran and the US were on the verge of commencing, disseminating this falsehood to the world. What made this even more troubling was the fact that a number of news outlets, perhaps eager for a scoop, took these claims at face value. For instance, on Saturday, Reuters, citing “Pakistani sources,” reported that “Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi arrived in the Pakistani capital Islamabad on Friday to discuss proposals for restarting peace talks with the US.” This created a ripple effect of misleading information. As journalist Ryan Grim astutely observed on X, “It was never true that Aragchi had any plans to re-enter negotiations last week. Why would the Pakistanis say otherwise?” Grim went on to dismantle the narrative, stating, “The erroneous news reports indicating that the US and Iran would be restarting talks were produced because Pakistan’s ISPR sent the following incorrect update to many journalists. (They didn’t send it directly to me, but I was forwarded it.),” then detailing the very message that had beguiled several journalists and reputable outlets, including Reuters, into publishing inaccurate reports. Political sociologist David Miller added a sharp commentary on X, wondering, “Perhaps because the Pakistani junta has been lying about every single thing since these ‘negotiations’ began? And even about the premises that established the negotiations (“Trump has agreed to the Ten Points” etc etc). Remarkable that any journalist would fall for their nonsense.” The picture that emerged was one of deliberate manipulation and a disregard for factual reporting.
The Pakistani military establishment, through its sophisticated media arm, the ISPR, has a well-documented history of masterfully spreading outright disinformation. This isn’t a new phenomenon. We’ve seen it before, notably after India’s aerial strikes on terror camps during Operation Sindoor. Pakistan launched an extensive disinformation campaign then, an all-out effort to regain control of the narrative, employing digital manipulation and churning out unverified claims. This campaign saw state-affiliated accounts shamelessly recycling outdated images, misrepresenting old videos, and pushing baseless accusations. At the forefront of this deceptive assault against India were the ISPR and its Director General, General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, who, tellingly, is the son of a terrorist. But it seems Pakistan has now elevated its disinformation game to new, audacious heights in its fervent desire to claim the mantle of “peacemaker.” They audaciously asserted that Iranian and US delegates would meet face-to-face in Islamabad on that fateful Saturday, despite Tehran explicitly stating they had no intention of doing so. And to keep this elaborate charade of peace talks alive, authorities effectively put Islamabad, the capital, and Rawalpindi, the country’s military nerve center, under a virtual lockdown. This was all for talks they knew, deep down, would never materialize. Commercial traffic was prohibited, and business activities were severely restricted, causing significant hardship and suffering to ordinary Pakistani citizens in these twin cities.
The irony of this whole disinformation campaign is that it may very well backfire, making it even harder for Pakistan to genuinely assume the role of a trusted peacemaker. As Erik Sperling, executive director of the US-based think tank Just Foreign Policy, thoughtfully commented on X, “it is very hard to imagine Iran trusting Pakistan to ‘mediate’ talks again. This is exactly the type of ‘continuous media hype (leaks and rumours) from the Pakistani side’ that should make Iran refuse to conduct any further diplomacy in Islamabad.” The persistent peddling of fake news by the ISPR has not only exposed Pakistan as, to put it bluntly, a lapdog for Trump’s administration, but it has also severely questioned its credibility as a self-proclaimed mediator. Iran, having been misled and used as a pawn in this diplomatic game, will undoubtedly find it exceptionally difficult to place its trust in Pakistan again. This entire episode has been a profound disservice to genuine diplomacy and has ultimately undermined Pakistan’s own international standing, leaving a trail of distrust and skepticism in its wake.