Pakistan, April 14 -- Eight Pakistani workers from Bahawalpur, shot dead in Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province, their lives executed in cold blood. The banned Balochistan National Army swiftly jumped to the front, claiming responsibility and adding yet another layer of complexity to already strained ties. This is the second such massacre in the last year, a chilling echo of the Saravan killings. Sadly, the bout of violence screams as a scathing commentary on how long two neighbouring states can afford to let fire spill across their border before diplomacy burns with it, more than the militants and their agendas.

The nearly 900-kilometre Pak-Iran border has long been a corridor for smuggling, insurgency, and mistrust. Despite periodic eff...