PAK-US Relations: The ugly truth

Going with the wind

The focus of bilateral relations between Pakistan and the US, as per the trends of the past, has been more on need of the time, instead of building a long term strategic partnership, something that Pakistan has always been interested in

Well, probably the relationship between no two countries has seen as many highs and lows as the PAK-US relations have. The odd couple, as former Minister for Foreign Affairs Khursheed Mahmood Kasuri terms the two countries in his book “Neither a Hawk, Nor a Dove”, has neither been able to reach stability and maturity, nor breakup with each other. Rather thepaper plane of PAK-US bilateral relations has seemingly been going with the winds, instead of going in a well-defined direction, which in this case would be consistency thathas always been a longing requirement for establishing trust, and stabilising relations between the two countries.

Consistency in PAK-US relations has always been the missing element.

The focus of bilateral relations between Pakistan and the US, as per the trends of the past, has been more on need of the time, instead of building a long term strategic partnership, something that Pakistan has always been interested in but has been missing on the part of the latter. In the short term too, the establishment of geo-strategic and security hegemony has by far dominated all other essential aspects of bilateral relations such as economic, trade, social development, technology sharing, etc.

From allying with each other against USSR through membership in SEATO and CENTO in the 1950s, to paving way for Nixon’s visit to China in early 1970s to normalise relations between the US and China, followed by joining hands,once again, against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s, coming down to post 9/11 joint efforts to curbing the monster of terrorism; all of the aforementioned allegiances were needs of the respective times, and besides these, there is hardly a trace of any significant development in the bilateral relations between the two countries.

The untied ties

The ties between the US and Pakistan, more or less, have remained untied, and never been tied properly. One may question, why is this so, and who is responsible for this? Even though the two sides have sided with each other in enormously perilous times, and this coalition has been the cause of many significant changes in the region, and the world at large.

Pakistan holds a key strategic location in the region, and has the potential to be a fruitful ally for the United States, particularly in the ongoing War on Terror, without which the US and the world would not have managed to come this far

The answer to the question of untied ties, to a great extent, remains weak diplomacy, that too on part of Pakistan, and lack of willingness on part of the US to help Pakistan emerge as a key player in the region. Both, Pakistan and the US are responsible for the existing mistrust, and discord.

Home to a key strategic location, sharing borders with key global players including China, India, Central Asian states, etc, having excess to warm waters, and countless other strengths, Pakistan must have been able to tie the knots with the US, once approached for potential strategic partnering, through aggressive diplomacy. Instead, the vacuum that was created due to weak diplomatic outlook of Pakistan was later on filled by India, although India always sided with Russia instead of the US. Pakistan must resort to aggressive diplomatic initiatives to fill in the existing gaps, and must work towards asserting itself as a potential ally for the US. The role of Pakistan in the global war on terror, along with the sacrifices made by its armed forces, and the public, must be fought for on the diplomatic front. The United States, similarly, on the other hand, must acknowledge the role of Pakistan as a key ally in the past, and at present, and the potential it carries to be a reliable strategic partner for the US in the region.

The role of leadership, key authorities and think tanks in both, Pakistan and the US, must look beyond the need of the time, and focus on long term objectives at regional and global level that can be achieved through mutual cooperation.

Trump loves me; Trump loves me not

Ever since the emergence of Donald Trump as Republican presidential candidate on the political stage of the US, the intellects on the Pakistani side began debating the implications for Pakistan in view of Trump emerging as a president of the US. Trump, initially, was viewed as a hard-liner across the board, and somebody who would mean strict business with Pakistan. Views regarding Pakistan expressed generously by Trump during his election campaign were nothing less than a wakeup call for Pakistani establishment.

Following his unprecedented victory in the US elections, the nightmare called Trump is now a reality Pakistan has to deal with. Trumps election as president gave birth to serious concerns, and implications for Pakistan in the short, medium, and the long run. Opposed to this view, many analysts are of the view that Pakistan has benefitted more from the US under Republican leadership, as compared to the Democrats, with whom the relations have remained fairly sour.

The first interaction of the prime minister with the Republican president elect over telephone, however, proved to be an ice-breaker, and has given another side of the picture to look at. The advisor to prime minister on foreign affairs, particularly the US, Tariq Fatemi’s visit to the US followed, attempting to hold meetings with the transition team of President Elect Trump, not successful so far.

Now all are trying to figure out, whether Trump loves us, or loves us not.

What lies ahead?

All arguments apart, the ugly truth is that both, Pakistan and the US need each other beyond just the timely needs, and short term objectives. Even after considerable levels of mistrust, and blames from both sides for the other, it is remarkable to see what the two, together, have achieved.

Pakistan holds a key strategic location in the region, and has the potential to be a fruitful ally for the United States, particularly in the ongoing War on Terror, without which the US and the world would not have managed to come this far. The US, on the other hand, with its economic, technological and military might, is capable of assisting Pakistan in achieving its developmental, and security objectives.

With Trump ready to assume the office of the president in the White House, Pakistan must brace itself for a new journey, which is expected to be bumpy, but with the right diplomatic approach can, otherwise, prove to be an opportunity for Pakistan to re-gain its status as a key ally of the US.