How Pakistan became the peacemaker
The Global Story
BBC
3.8 • 663 Ratings
🗓️ 21 April 2026
⏱️ 27 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
For decades, Pakistan sat on the margins of global diplomacy. But now it’s due to be the unlikely venue for another round of peace talks between the US and Iran.
We speak to the BBC’s Pakistan correspondent, Carrie Davies, to ask how the country became a trusted intermediary between the parties in this conflict, and whether it can use this moment to increase its influence on the world stage.
Producers: Cat Farnsworth, Viv Jones, Aron Keller and Xandra Ellin
Studio managers: Mike Regaard and Ricardo McCarthy
Executive producer: James Shield
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: U.S. Vice President JD Vance with Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir after arriving for first round of talks with Iranian officials in Pakistan, April 11, 2026. Credit: Jacquelyn Martin / Reuters
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | B.C. Sounds. Music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:05.6 | Despite a lot of mixed messages, not to mention threats that we've seen in the last 48 hours, |
| 0:10.7 | there are preparations in Pakistan underway for the U.S. and Iran to negotiate an end to this war. |
| 0:16.6 | The fragile ceasefire expires this Wednesday. |
| 0:19.9 | And while as of this recording, at 9 a.m. London time, 4 a.m. in Washington, D.C., it's not clear what exactly might happen next. |
| 0:28.9 | One thing that has become clear in these last few weeks is that a South Asian country little known for global diplomacy has somehow emerged as the key potential peacemaker in this fight. |
| 0:40.6 | All eyes on Islamabad right now. This is the place which has become a major diplomatic hub |
| 0:45.8 | around the world. Pakistan stepped in and brought the world back from the brink of a third world war. |
| 0:52.1 | It was absolute diplomatic conquest and I feel proud today. |
| 0:57.3 | Pakistan not only hosted the first round of marathon talks earlier this month. |
| 1:01.8 | The country's leaders have also been working behind the scenes to get Iran on board. |
| 1:05.9 | And President Trump, well, he seems impressed. |
| 1:09.2 | The field marshal has been great. |
| 1:11.2 | The prime minister has been really great in Pakistan. |
| 1:16.6 | From the BBC, I'm Asma Khalid in London. |
| 1:19.8 | And today on the global story, how did a country that had barely been on the U.S. radar in recent years |
| 1:25.3 | went over Trump to become the unlikely mediator in this war. |
| 1:35.5 | So I am Caroline Carey Davis. I am based here in Islamabad. I'm the BBC's Pakistan correspondent. |
| 1:42.8 | And yeah, I've been keeping a very close eye on the talks and the discussions that have been going on in Islamabad. This is not a role that Pakistan has played at least quite as prominently before. So it's a really interesting time to be in Islamabad, in the capital, seeing the world's eyes on what's going on in Pakistan? |
| 2:05.8 | I mean, Kerry, on the surface, it might seem surprising, I think, to many listeners, that Pakistan is holding these talks. I would say for many Americans, this is a country that has been |
| 2:10.3 | somewhat off the public radar since Osama bin Laden was killed in 2011. And it hasn't been |
| 2:16.7 | historically a huge priority for U.S. foreign policy, |
... |
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