Western foreign policy has long claimed that democracy, human rights and the rule of law come first. Strategy keeps getting in the way.

Pakistan’s renewed importance during the Iran crisis is the latest case. Logistical access, intelligence sharing and a geography that suddenly mattered again have dragged Islamabad back into the inner circle. The diplomatic tone from Washington and European capitals has warmed. Criticism that would have been routine a year ago has gone quiet.

Working with difficult partners isn’t the issue. Working with them in ways that get read as immunity is. When Islamabad concludes that strategic value buys silence on domestic repression, the incentives point in one direction only.

You can see the direction in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The recent elections there came with the usual accompaniments: opposition complaints of manipulation, reports of intimidation, arrests of........

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