Pakistan, Oct. 8 -- Pakistan sits at the crossroads of a new Afghan settlement, and the world is already rearranging the furniture. At this week's quadrilateral meeting in Moscow, Islamabad reaffirmed its commitment to a stable Afghanistan while quietly pressing concerns about terrorist sanctuaries along its western frontier. The same talks hosted the Taliban as full participants after Russia removed them from its terror list, signalling Moscow's new comfort with Kabul's rulers. Meanwhile, Washington's statements on Bagram and reported efforts to re-engage Kabul remind Islamabad that old scripts never die. They simply reappear in a new guise.

The writing on the wall could not be harsher. Independent monitors record roughly 901 fatalities...