New Delhi, April 30 -- In the geopolitical game of diplomacy, it's all about reassurance. A mediator is not an arbitrator or a warrior; it is an honest broker on whom all sides are willing to bet on stability, impartiality and goodwill. This is a position Pakistan has sought for some time. Whether in brokering US-Iran negotiations or connecting China and the West, Islamabad seeks to play the role of indispensable incomer.

a state which cannot even provide energy for its own citizens cannot be a reliable or secure source of security in the region. It is not about budget deficits and tax reform. It is about the state's capacity to influence, maintain its economy and people, and to resist pressures to bend to will. And, with the possible ex...