Heartburn in New Delhi over Pakistan’s role in brokering Middle East ceasefire
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US President Donald Trump with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during a world leaders' summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, on Oct 13, 2025.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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NEW DELHI – India is experiencing some heartburn over Pakistan’s visible role in negotiating the ceasefire between Iran and the US – a challenge to its own ambitions as the South Asian regional hegemon and a global player.
New Delhi has been warily watching Islamabad’s seemingly growing global influence since the second Trump administration took office in January 2025. India and Pakistan are perennial rivals, with relations in a deep freeze. The feuding neighbours engaged in a limited conflict after India blamed Pakistan for a terror attack in Kashmir on April 22, 2025.
Domestically, Prime Minister Narendra Modi would have to manage perceptions that India is not playing a more active role in the Middle East negotiations, especially given the high stakes in West Asia and New Delhi’s lofty global ambitions.
“We welcome the ceasefire reached and hope that it will lead to a lasting peace in West Asia,” India’s External Affairs Ministry said on April 8. “We expect that unimpeded freedom of navigation and global flow of commerce would prevail through the Strait of Hormuz.”
The opening of the Strait of Hormuz during the two-week ceasefire is good news for energy-hungry India, where fuel shortages have impacted daily life for many Indians.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi framed Pakistan’s growing diplomatic presence on the global stage as a failure of Mr Modi’s foreign policy.
However, the Modi government has downplayed Pakistan’s role in the negotiations. During an all-party meeting, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said India cannot act as a “dalal” nation, a term for a broker.
While Pakistan is opportunistically playing a role in brokering the ceasefire, its actual influence on the global stage remains nascent at best.
It lacks the levers of influence – economic weight, financial stability and diplomatic heft – to be a truly influential player. Pakistan is often seen as a middleman in global politics, as in this case, rather than triggering paradigm shifts. It has also often required emergency economic bailouts, underscoring its fragile economic influence.
Yet, its growing ties with Washington have complicated India’s efforts to manage relations with the unpredictable Trump administration.
New Delhi is uneasy with President Donald Trump for repeatedly taking credit for ending the India-Pakistan conflict in 2025 and praising Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir.
FM Munir met Mr Trump several times in 2025, while Mr Modi last met Mr Trump in February 2025 – though New Delhi remains active with its Washington engagements.
