Islamabad, Pakistan – Hours before a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran was due to expire on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump announced its extension. He named those who had urged him to do so: Pakistan’s defence forces chief, Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.“Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, “and upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our attack.”Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listIt was the latest public shoutout from Trump for Pakistan’s leadership, Munir in particular, over their role in attempting to mediate an end to the war between the US and Iran.On April 8, the US and Iran announced a Pakistan-mediated two-week ceasefire. That came about following hectic backchannel negotiations, including direct consultations Munir held with US Vice President JD Vance, Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.On April 11, Munir welcomed the Vance-led US delegation and the Iranian team led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf as they landed in Islamabad for the first round of direct talks between the two nations.After those talks failed to yield a breakthrough, Munir undertook a three-day visit to Tehran, the first regional military leader to travel to the Iranian capital since the US-Israel war on Iran began on February 28, attempting to bridge the gulf in the positions adopted by Washington and Tehran. Advertisement But even as Munir is today being cited by …
