Pakistan, April 12 -- Pakistan has earned its moment in the sun, and for once, it is not borrowed light. The direct US-Iran negotiations now underway in Islamabad have moved past the polite choreography of opening statements into the grind of expert-level bargaining, with economic, military and legal committees joining the process to iron out the fine print. Talks are now focused on technical details, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif having met delegations separately before the sessions began.

That matters for a reason too many commentaries miss. Islamabad track had nearly buckled after Israeli strikes in Lebanon. Pakistan did not walk into a settled process. It stepped into one on the verge of breakdown and still kept both sides engag...