5 min readApr 10, 2026 06:30 AM IST First published on: Apr 10, 2026 at 06:30 AM ISTThe US-Israel war against Iran is now under a conditional ceasefire for two weeks. The global sigh of relief is palpable. Today, Pakistan will host the “Islamabad talks” wherein the two principals — US and Iran — will meet. There is a possibility that these talks will extend into the weekend.Pakistan has played a central and highly visible role as a mediator in enabling this fragile and temporary pause in hostilities and is to be commended. US President Trump was effusive in his social media post and wrote: “Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, of Pakistan, and wherein they requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran, and subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks.” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi thanked PM Sharif and Field Marshal Munir for their “tireless efforts” and “brotherly request”.AdvertisementThis accomplishment is being described in Pakistan and the international media as one of the country’s biggest diplomatic wins in years, elevating its global profile under the current hybrid civilian-military leadership. However, true success depends on whether the Islamabad talks will yield a durable agreement, or if they will be scuttled. Israel’s ability to play spoiler cannot be discounted, but it must be acknowledged that Pakistan has positioned itself as an unexpected but welcome peacemaker in a major crisis, skilfully pandering to the US President and leveraging its unique relationships in a volatile multipolar world.It merits recall that Trump has described Asim Munir as his favourite Field Marshal. The peacemaking ability of the Pakistani Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) will be tested on Friday.Whether the Islamabad talks lead to an abiding peace in West Asia remains moot at this stage given the many complexities and contradictions that abound. But the more abiding challenge for Munir will be to work towards an equitable framework of peace and amity in the context of Pakistan’s deeply vitiated domestic politics and the unpalatable reality that archrival Imran Khan’s popularity remains undiminished.AdvertisementPakistan’s domestic strategic and security challenges under Munir (COAS since November 2022, promoted to Field Marshal in May 2025 and appointed Chief of Defence Forces) remain acute and multifaceted. Munir’s tenure has been marked by a military-centric approach to internal threats, framed around “Azm-e-Istehkam” (resolve for stability) and aggressive counter-terrorism operations, while the army has consolidated unprecedented institutional power through constitutional adjustments and a hybrid civilian-military governance model.However, data culled from Pakistani media reports over the last year shows that militant violence has reached levels not seen in over a decade with persistent insurgencies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces undermining state writ in roughly half the country’s territory. The clenched-fist approach adopted by Munir has led to tactical successes but has not resolved the underlying socio-political and cultural drivers, raising questions about the long-term strategic sustainability of the country.This is not to suggest that Pakistan will unravel — far from it. Pakistan may be a fractured and anguished country in terms of its inequitable ethnic diversity, but is a very strong and ruthless military state in terms of hard power that is often used against its own citizens. The genocide in East Pakistan (1970-71) that led to the birth of Bangladesh is illustrative.More recently, separatist Baloch aspirations have been crushed with an iron fist and the TTP (Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan) staged a major comeback since the 2021 Taliban takeover of Kabul, using Afghan sanctuaries for planning, training and infiltration.you may likeAttacks surged dramatically under Munir. The year 2025 saw combat-related deaths rise by 73 per cent to 3,387 (from 1,950 in 2024), with over 1,100 security personnel killed, the highest since 1971. The TTP (rebranded by the state as Fitna al-Khawarij) expanded geographically, improved its weaponry (much of it from post-2021 Afghan stockpiles), and shifted toward disciplined, high-impact operations targeting security forces, and alas, increasingly, civilians. This cannot be condoned.The military tail wagging the civilian dog has been the bane of Pakistan’s internal stability and development. Once the war clouds in West Asia dissipate — and here we must hope for the best outcome that will advance equitable peace —it would be desirable for Munir, the much-celebrated peacemaker, to calm his troubled country.The writer is director, Society for Policy Studies, New Delhi