Summary PM Shehbaz also called on Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz for the same two weeks “as a goodwill gesture”.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has appealed to Trump to push back his deadline for an Iran deal by two weeks and for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz during the same period, saying ongoing diplomatic efforts are promising and should run their course.
In a post on the social media plateform X, PM shehbaz said that the diplomatic efforts for peaceful settlement of the ongoing war in the Middle East are progressing steadily, strongly and powerfully with the potential to lead to substantive results in near future.
Diplomatic efforts for peaceful settlement of the ongoing war in the Middle East are progressing steadily, strongly and powerfully with the potential to lead to substantive results in near future. To allow diplomacy to run its course, I earnestly request President Trump to extend…
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) April 7, 2026
Shehbaz Sharif said “To allow diplomacy to run its course, I earnestly request President Trump to extend the deadline for two weeks.”
PM Shehbaz also called on Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz for the same two weeks “as a goodwill gesture”.
“We also urge all warring parties to observe a ceasefire everywhere for two weeks to allow diplomacy to achieve conclusive termination of war, in the interest of long-term peace and stability in the region,” he added.
PM SHEHBAZ’S PROPOSAL CONVEYED TO TRUMP: WHITE HOUSE
The White House says Trump has been made aware of the Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s proposal. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, said that there will be a response.
This goes back to this question of the erosion of official diplomatic channels between Washington and Tehran over the last few days, since those back-to-back threats that were issued over the weekend and on Monday by the US president.
What we’re hearing privately from diplomats is that it’s going to be very, very difficult for both sides to come to any sort of grand bargain and reach a comprehensive agreement.
This is why there seems to be a shift towards interim steps that could include mediation from third parties such as Turkiye, Egypt and Pakistan – which is what we’re seeing now.
Publicly, what we’re seeing both from the US and from Iran is a posturing of strength, not a position of compromise. This makes it very difficult to see anything other than this very narrow diplomatic window where at least some sort of interim step can be achieved.
What they’re hoping for is not a grand bargain, but perhaps a two-week ceasefire that can lead to something more sustainable.
