By Our Correspondents 

NEW DELHI / ISLAMABAD -  As the world breathes a collective sigh of relief over a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran, brokered through Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts, a very different drama has been unfolding across the border in India.

From the halls of Parliament to prime-time television studios, Pakistan’s emergence as a key peacemaker has triggered a wave of frustration, political attacks, and even viral meltdowns.

The ceasefire, announced late Tuesday, came after intensive behind-the-scenes diplomacy led by Pakistan. US President Donald Trump publicly acknowledged that he agreed to “hold off the destructive force” being sent to Iran following direct conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir. Iran, too, confirmed Pakistan’s central role.

For India, long accustomed to positioning itself as a dominant regional power and global mediator, the optics have been brutal.

- India’s Careful Silence

While the Indian Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement on Wednesday welcoming the ceasefire, it conspicuously avoided any mention of Pakistan’s role.

“We welcome the ceasefire reached and hope that it will lead to a lasting peace in West Asia,” the ministry said, adding that “de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy are essential.” When pressed by journalists on Pakistan’s role, ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal offered a terse response: “I am here to communicate India’s position. As to the position of other countries, it is best left to them to speak about it”.

That carefully worded neutrality masks a deeper anxiety. The same week, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar was reportedly quoted by opposition MPs as using very abusive words in an all-party meeting. That dismissal now appears to have backfired spectacularly.

India’s opposition Congress Party has seized on the development to launch a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy record.

Jairam Ramesh, the Congress general secretary, described Pakistan’s role as a “severe setback” to Modi’s “highly personalised diplomacy” .

“The self-styled Vishwaguru stands thoroughly exposed, his self-declared 56-inch chest shrunk and shrivelled,” Ramesh said, referring to Modi’s trademark political imagery.

“His cowardice is demonstrated by his silence not only on Israel’s belligerence but on the completely unacceptable and disgraceful language being used by his good friend in the White House.”

Congress has also demanded answers about India’s so-called “Operation Sindoor” -- a military conflict in May 2025 whose abrupt halt, opposition leaders say, was never adequately explained to Parliament. Trump has since claimed credit for ending that operation nearly a hundred times, according to Ramesh.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, another senior Congress leader, also weighed in, condemning Western rhetoric on the Iran conflict and praising Iranian citizens forming human chains to protect national resources.

- A Viral Meltdown -That Wasn’t Quite Real

Amid the political firestorm, a video purporting to show an Indian news anchor smashing an iPad on live television while ranting about Pakistan’s diplomatic success went viral across social media.

The clip appeared to show the anchor screaming, “Why do we always have to stand on the sidelines? This is not something we can tolerate!” before destroying his equipment. Pakistani media celebrated it as evidence of Indian “crying” and frustration.

While the specific video some people claim was not real, but analysts say the sentiment it captured was genuine. Indian commentators and political figures have expressed real discomfort over Pakistan’s sudden ascendance as an indispensable diplomatic actor.

In a scathing analysis, India News described India as looking “incidental to the historic crisis in its immediate neighborhood” . The publication noted that while India cast its weight behind US-Israeli strikes early in the conflict, it found itself with no seat at the table when peace was finally brokered.

“This is a moment in the sun for Islamabad,” the analysis read. “Whichever way it is looked at, New Delhi comes across as incidental to the whole crisis despite having cast its weight behind the US-Israeli strikes against Iran”.

"Iran will never forget India's role, including when its warship was hit by the US near Indian waters," Abdul Saboor, a political analyst, said.

- A Shift in Regional Dynamics

The implications extend beyond wounded pride. India has long sought to isolate Pakistan internationally, but Pakistan’s successful mediation -- acknowledged and praised by worldwide including both Washington and Tehran --  represents a direct challenge to that narrative.

For Pakistan, the moment is one of vindication. The Foreign Office has dismissed what it calls India’s “megaphone theatrics,” contrasting them with Pakistan’s approach of “restraint and decorum”.

As the world’s attention turns to Islamabad, where US and Iranian delegations are scheduled to meet on Friday, April 10, the contrast could not be starker. One nation hosts peace talks that could reshape the Middle East. The other watches from the sidelines, its political class consumed by recriminations over how it got there.