Most Pakistanis who know that their country mediated between the United States and Iran believe that the initiative is a great national victory, according to a new Ipsos syndicated survey that was conducted this week.
A lot of the respondents indicated that the diplomatic involvement has assisted in enhancing the global image of Pakistan and made its international image stronger.
Lately, Pakistan has begun positioning itself as an important intermediary between Washington and Tehran, hosting direct talks, and facilitating backchannel diplomacy as tensions rose following military exchanges earlier this year.
The first round of direct US-Iran talks took place in April in Islamabad as part of the effort to alleviate the crisis although the further development of the situation has remained unpredictable due to the renewed tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the Ipsos survey, the number of people who are aware of the initiative is increasing with 74 per cent of the surveyed people saying that they are aware of the initiative, as compared to 65 per cent who said the same in a previous wave.
Of the people who were aware, a considerably larger number of them gave a positive rating to the development.
The findings of the Ipsos said that a majority of those people who are aware of the efforts believe that this is a significant national victory and they are proud of the fact that Pakistan has attained a better global image and strong international standing.
Particularly, 45 per cent of the informed respondents referred to the initiative as a big win for Pakistan.
Moreover, 37 per cent indicated that it had enhanced the global image of the country, 33 percent said it had strengthened the diplomatic credibility, and 31 per cent indicated that it had improved the international standing of the country.
Another issue raised by the survey was the attribution of credit by the people to the national leadership.
55 per cent of the respondents identified Field Marshal Asim Munir as the most important participant in the diplomatic initiative, with 38 per cent citing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and an even smaller proportion citing Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
On external support, the respondents noted China as the leading supporter of Pakistan’s mediation role followed by Turkiye and Saudi Arabia and Russia, which displayed perceptions of broader geopolitical alignment supporting the mediation role of Pakistan.
