Pakistan, April 20 -- Pakistan is in the middle of a storm that it did not create. On one front, it is quietly mediating between Washington and Tehran, persuading the United States and Iran to talk face?to?face after half a century of silence. On the other front, it is juggling debt, inflation, fuel shortages and a reform programme overseen by the International Monetary Fund. The way its leaders navigate these cross?currents will shape the country's economic trajectory and its sense of place in the world.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb spent last week in the US for the World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings while taking part in over 50 interactions and events, including discussions with international finance institutions, policymakers, and ...