Pakistan, July 15 -- When the official signing ceremony of a peace deal and framework agreement between Iran and the U.S., planned for June 19, 2026, at the Burgenstock Resort, Switzerland, was suddenly converted into an electronic signature, I suspected a bit of mistrust between the stakeholders. Pakistan and Qatar did a great job in getting that done but fell short of a solid foundation for further talks, which were necessary for a durable peace in the region.

The ceasefire, which came into effect with the signing of the 'Islamabad Memorandum' on June 14, 2026, had little promise, in my view, and the same is being proved with some serious violations from both sides. Short of saying that the war has started again, it will not be an exag...