Pakistan, April 22 -- Pakistan's civil-military leadership has, in recent months, stepped into an unusually consequential diplomatic role: mediating between Iran and the United States at a time of acute geopolitical crisis. What distinguishes this effort is not merely the ambition to halt hostilities, but the attempt to institutionalise a pathway towards sustained dialogue-something that has eluded both sides for decades.

Two developments underscore the seriousness of this initiative. Islamabad helped broker a temporary ceasefire and, more significantly, facilitated direct engagement between Washington and Tehran after nearly half a century of estrangement. In diplomatic terms, even limited contact at this level marks a structural shift....