摘要
Pakistan is a highly significant country for the Persian Gulf due to its geostrategic location,large workforce,being the only Muslim nuclear power and centuries of religious and cultural affinity.It is the second largest security guarantor of Saudi Arabia after the US and shares a border with Iran.Islamabad not only helped the Arab countries in institution building during their formative years,but also provided them support during security crises in the 20th century.Since 2001,regional dynamics changed Pakistan’s foreign policy towards Afghanistan vis-à-vis Iran.Islamabad decided to adopt the role of a passive mediator in Persian Gulf conflicts.For this purpose,it decided to stay neutral in the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen in 2015,which was a highly unexpected decision for the Saudi and Emirati ruling elites.In 2016,Pakistan defused tensions between the two Persian Gulf rivals,i.e.,Saudi Arabia and Iran.Later,Islamabad opted for neutrality in Qatar’s diplomatic crisis in 2017.With this backdrop,this study hypotheses that since 2001 Pakistan has successfully prevented conflict escalation in the Persian Gulf through‘passive mediation’.The study will focus on the following questions:what are Pakistan’s peace initiatives in Persian Gulf conflicts?How have these initiatives helped to de-escalate tensions and averted armed conflicts?What are Pakistan’s limitations in its mediation efforts during these conflicts?
