'We Can't Be A Dalal Nation!': Jaishankar Mocks Pakistan For Brokering Iran War

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday took a jibe at Pakistan for apparently mediating the ongoing war in the Middle East and firmly stated that India cannot act as a middleman in global geopolitics, sources said. His remarks come amid concerns raised by Opposition leaders that Pakistan’s reported role in facilitating communication between the United States and Iran during the ongoing conflict was a "setback" for India.

While addressing the Opposition's concerns at the all-party meeting held in New Delhi, the Union Minister stated that India will not act as a “dalal” (broker) nation like Pakistan. The meeting was chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and attended by senior Union Ministers including Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman and Hardeep Singh Puri. 

The meeting saw participation from leaders across political parties. According to reports, the government briefed stakeholders on the evolving situation in West Asia, India’s diplomatic outreach and its energy security concerns, while reiterating that New Delhi would pursue an independent foreign policy approach.

Earlier, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had said that if the reports of Pakistan being a mediator are accurate, it represents a “major setback for India and a snub to the nation”. In a post on X, Ramesh further claimed that it is an “unfortunate truth” is that Pakistan's diplomatic activism and narrative management have been “far more effective than that of the Modi government”.

This follows Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s public offer to host talks between Washington and Tehran. As reported by Dawn Sharif said Pakistan was “ready and honoured” to facilitate meaningful negotiations, subject to the consent of both sides.

International outlets reported that Pakistan’s military and intelligence channels were involved in passing messages between the US and Iran, with senior officials engaging in backchannel diplomacy.

According to these reports, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir reached out to US leadership, while diplomatic communication was also carried through foreign ministers.

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