Is he coming or not?

The question is hanging in Islamabad's diplomatic air like smog before monsoon. No official itinerary. No confirmation. And yet, the entire capital is abuzz with speculation, prepping for the possibility that Donald J Trump may soon be setting foot on Pakistani soil — with a camera crew in tow.

Top media outlets have already done the classic Islamabad two-step: break the story, then retract it. The White House issued a dry-as-toast denial: "No trip scheduled at this time." But with Trump, absence of confirmation often is the confirmation. Denial, after all, is part of the build-up.

Because Trump is not a president in the conventional sense. He is a performer playing a president, on a stage where policy is the prop and optics are the plot.

Let's rewind the show. In June, Trump rolled out the red carpet for Pakistan's Army Chief at the White House — a move so unorthodox under a civilian government that even the most seasoned analysts blinked twice. Then came the hammer on India. First a 25% tariff, and then an additional 25% blow for Delhi's........

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