Phone-a-friend: Mapping PM Shehbaz, DPM Dar’s call-a-thon leading up to the US-Iran ceasefire

Since the outbreak of the US-Israel war on Iran on February 28, Pakistan’s top civilian leadership has leaned on backchannel and direct telephonic diplomacy, using a steady stream of phone calls to position Islamabad as a bridge between Washington and Tehran.

From the first day of the conflict, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif began reaching out to Gulf leaders, condemning regional escalation and showing solidarity.

In the weeks that followed, both the premier and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar expanded that outreach, holding repeated conversations with counterparts in Tehran, Gulf capitals, and key regional players.

Here is a timeline of the calls made by Pakistan’s leadership since the conflict began.