The planned quadrilateral talks are the first since tensions escalated, coming amid stepped-up diplomatic outreach by Pakistan. It has already sent a 15-point US peace proposal to Iran and offered to host direct talks.But behind the diplomatic pressure is growing unease within Islamabad’s security establishment.Pakistan reportedly signed a mutual defense treaty with Saudi Arabia last year, but it is now becoming a strategic liability amid increasing hostilities. Recent Iranian attacks on Saudi territory have raised fears that Pakistan may be forced to take sides in a conflict it wants to avoid.According to a report in the Financial Times, Pakistani officials view the Saudi deal as “becoming a problem”, particularly as it appears to have weakened deterrence without delivering the expected economic benefits.“The Saudi deal is becoming a problem for us,” the FT reported, citing a person familiar with the thinking of senior Pakistani military leaders. “It was supposed to be cash for redress. “But we did not get any new Saudi investment and the containment failed.”Islamabad’s close military ties with Riyadh and its efforts to maintain pragmatic ties with Tehran increase the risk of entanglement.This balancing act is further complicated by domestic pressures.Strong anti-US and anti-Israel sentiment, especially among Pakistan’s large Shia population, coupled with widespread public sympathy for Iran, limits the government’s room for maneuver. Any direct alliance with Washington or Riyadh risks creating internal unrest.“The problem for Islamabad is not just geo-sectarian, but also the pervasive anti-American and anti-Israel sentiments in the country, which have generated popular sympathy for Iran during the conflict,” the FT quoted Kamran Bokhari, senior resident fellow at the Middle East Policy Council in Washington, as saying. He further said, “The Pakistanis got involved in diplomacy so that they could avoid being dragged into the fighting.”

At the same time, Pakistan’s leadership views diplomatic engagement as a strategic necessity. The prolonged conflict in the Gulf threatens energy supplies, trade routes and an already strained economy. Acting as a mediator also increases Islamabad’s global relevance and helps enhance domestic legitimacy at times of political and economic tension.Pakistan has held talks with both the US and Iranian leadership through covert channels, while also coordinating with regional powers including Türkiye and Egypt. The emerging group has been compared to a loose “Islamic NATO”, although officials see it as a platform for stability rather than a military bloc.The FT report said that the longer the conflict drags on, the more difficult it becomes for Pakistan to strike a balance. A failed diplomatic effort could erode trust with both Washington and Tehran, leaving Islamabad isolated, even as the risk of regional spillover increases.At present, Pakistan is betting on diplomacy to keep itself away from the line of fire. But as alliances strengthen and tensions rise, its room for maneuver is rapidly shrinking.