India cannot act as a “dalal nation” in global geopolitics, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said at an all-party meeting on the West Asia crisis on Wednesday, as the Opposition raised concerns over Pakistan’s role in mediating talks between the United States and Iran, sources told India Today.
The meeting, chaired by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, was held at Parliament and attended by senior ministers including Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. Leaders from across parties, including Congress, Samajwadi Party, JD(U), and CPI(M), were present.
PAKISTAN OFFERS TO HOST TALKS
Jaishankar’s remarks came amid Pakistan’s stepped-up efforts to position itself as an intermediary in the conflict. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said Islamabad was “ready and honoured” to facilitate “meaningful and conclusive talks” between the US and Iran, adding that it was willing to host negotiations for a comprehensive settlement, subject to the consent of both sides.
The statement followed reports that Pakistan, along with Egypt and Turkiye, was engaged in backchannel efforts to broker peace. Sharif also spoke to Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian, expressing concern over the escalating hostilities and calling for de-escalation.
US SIGNALS DIPLOMATIC OPENING
US President Donald Trump amplified Sharif’s remarks by sharing his post on Truth Social. Earlier, Trump had said Washington would pause threatened strikes on Iranian power plants for five days, citing “very good and productive conversations” with Tehran, though he did not identify the interlocutor.
International reports suggest Pakistan has been actively relaying messages between Washington and Tehran. According to the Financial Times, Pakistan’s military leadership, including Field Marshal Asim Munir, reached out to Trump, while CNN reported that US proposals were conveyed to Iran through Pakistani intermediaries.
Officials said Pakistan’s intelligence channels delivered a US proposal to Tehran, with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar following up with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi. Iran has acknowledged receiving the proposal and indicated that talks, if held, could take place in Pakistan or Turkey, but no formal response or timeline has been announced.
IRAN PUBLICLY REJECTS TALKS
Despite backchannel activity, Iran has publicly denied that any negotiations are underway and has taken a hardline stance against engaging with the administration of US President Donald Trump.
Senior Iranian officials have dismissed the idea of talks, calling US actions a “betrayal of diplomacy” and asserting that their military remains focused on defending national sovereignty.
Israel, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has also been briefed on the US proposal and remains sceptical about Iran accepting its terms.
CONFLICT ENTERS FOURTH WEEK
The war, now in its fourth week, has seen escalating hostilities across the Gulf region. The conflict began after joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, which killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, triggering a wider regional escalation following Iran’s retaliation.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office has urged restraint and cautioned against speculation over potential talks, saying diplomacy often requires discretion and that official announcements should be awaited.