Diplomacy Over Rivalries

Pakistan’s engagement with Iran at a moment of mounting regional instability warrants attention beyond the political quarrel it has triggered at home. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, responding to JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s objections over his participation in the Tehran meeting, defended the visit as a special assignment from the prime minister to address the unfolding crisis. He also rejected the suggestion that the gathering concerned a defence agreement, prompting an exchange of personal accusations in the Senate.

The significance of the Tehran discussions lies in the diplomatic opening they represent. Representatives of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye met Iranian leadership to explore regional cooperation and avenues for de-escalation. With tensions threatening to draw neighbouring states into a wider confrontation, maintaining communication across political and strategic divides is a matter of considerable consequence.

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Against this backdrop, reducing the initiative to a dispute over ministerial attendance does little to illuminate its purpose. Fazlur Rehman is entitled to question the government’s decisions, just as ministers must account for their responsibilities. Yet criticism carries greater weight when directed at the substance of diplomatic policy rather than the personalities involved.

Support for diplomacy need not entail unquestioning approval of those conducting it. What deserves recognition is the effort to keep regional channels open; what must remain subject to examination is its effectiveness. Political rivalry should neither discredit diplomatic engagement nor shield it from accountability. In a volatile neighbourhood, the consequences of failed dialogue extend well beyond the
political fortunes of those arguing over it.