The world is watching Islamabad and holding its breath. In a conflict marked by widespread distrust, Pakistan has managed to position itself in a unique and privileged place: that of an interlocutor accepted by all and a key player in avoiding the worst-case scenario. The most visible proof of the imminent summit between Washington and Tehran, scheduled for this Saturday unless it derails before it begins, is twofold. On the one hand, the fragile ceasefire in effect since Wednesday morning. On the other hand, the unprecedented fortification of the country's capital, Islamabad, and the adjacent city of Rawalpindi, which function de facto as a single urban conurbation.