For some reason, Pakistani leaders have made a habit of offering to mediate between the world’s superpowers whenever they seem headed for another cold war, which, while admirable in its intent, does amount to punching above one’s weight and ends up only making us the butt of all jokes in the international press. Now, PM Shahbaz Sharif, just like his predecessor, has offered to “bridge differences” between Washington and Beijing as they’ve already begun locking horns with the disputed island of Taiwan playing the role of the hot potato. There’s no doubt that the world cannot afford another cold war, and PM Sharif was spot on that countries like Pakistan will pay through their noses for it. That’s more or less what Imran Khan told the world as he stepped forward to resolve differences between the US and China, US and Russia, US and Iran and even Saudi Arabia and Iran; none of which took him up on his offer. Perhaps, both gentlemen would have looked more convincing if their own parties weren’t so busy trying to tear the other down in their typically embarrassing, shameful lust for power. And they’re doing it to the point that everybody can see that the people’s interests are the least of their concerns; snatching or hanging on to power is right at the top. It’s very nice to want a more peaceful and better-functioning world with no unnecessary conflict, of course. And we must play whatever role we can for it, but there’s something untenable, even hypocritical, about advocating peace in the world while practically engineering chaos at home. This is where all our leading political parties are very guilty indeed; just that some are more guilty than others. Even if they must scratch the itch of interfering in international affairs, that too from a position of moral superiority, then let each of them begin by first playing the role of the bigger person or party inside Pakistan; one that leads the rush for peace instead of being obsessed with degrading the other. Maybe then we can make a better case of everybody letting “us” diffuse cold wars as and when they come. *