Mazahir Hussain Zair
The bilateral relationship between Pakistan and the United States began after Pakistan’s independence, the United States established relations with Pakistan making it amongst the first nations to establish relations with the new state. Pakistan allied itself with the U.S. during the Cold war era against the Soviet Union and was an integral player in the CENTO and SEATO organizations. After the September 11 attacks in 2001 in the United States Pakistan became a key ally in the war on terror with the United States. After 9/11 many incidents took place between Pakistan and U.S which resume relationship between Pak-U.S some major issues are Salala incident November 2011 slaughter of over two dozen Pakistani soldiers on the border with Afghanistan by US forces. Pakistan suspended NATO supply lines and closed an airbase that NATO and the US had been using. Osama bin Laden episode in 2011 U.S carried operation led by CIA in Pakistani city Abbottabad. Raymond Davis incident in 2011 all these issues which impact on Pak-U.S relation. Bilateral relationship between US and Pakistan seems to be driven by giving priority to US national security interests in the region. US has an agreement with India on civil nuclear cooperation, but refuses to offer Pakistan. US has no respect for Pakistani courts and laws, as was witnessed in the Raymond Davis case, and which can now be seen in the case of Shakil Afridi. Pakistan had earlier reached an understanding with the US for buying eight F-16 planes. Under the deal, Pakistan was required to pay about $270m from its national funds. The US was supposed to provide the rest from its Foreign Military Financing (FMF) fund. Pakistan has not taken enough action against the Haqqani network; jail sentence for Dr Shakeel Afridi the physician who had cooperated with the US in tracking Osama bin Laden; and fears about Pakistani nuclear programme In international politics there are no permanent friends or enemies only permanent national interests. This saying is most obvious in Pakistan US relations which since 1947 have ups and down between highs and lows depending upon the interests of both states. The ups and down in Pakistan US relations have always been a function of global strategic dynamics. During the Cold War Washington needed Islamabad cooperation against Moscow but after the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan and the collapse of the Soviet Union ending the Cold War in 1990 the international strategic environment changed leading to a dilution in US reliance on Pakistan. Relations witnessed an upswing again after 9/11 when the US needed Pakistan assistance in its war on terror especially in Afghanistan.
However two major factors have come into effect since then that undermine bilateral relations. One is the growing divergence over the Afghan endgame. The US seeks a military solution by defeating the Afghan Taliban and blames Pakistan for allegedly supporting the insurgent group whereas Islamabad believes that the stalemate can only be resolved through dialogue among the warring Afghan factions. The second factor is more strategic involving the growing rivalry between the US and China wherein Washington seeks to contain a rising China through alliances with regional states including India which has obvious negative consequences for Pakistan. Therefore we must recognise that there is now a tactical and strategic divergence between Pakistan and the US. To protect and promote our interests in this environment will require a radical departure from our current policies that are mainly based on self deception and platitudes Pak US relations are always influenced by the US South Asian Policy Starting from the era of the Cold War when the US needed Pakistan to play a role against the spread of communism it stood with Pakistan by providing it with military and economic support. And when US interests diverged with Pakistan it adopted a different approach No doubt the US is a great country but Pakistan in its own right is an important country that may not be taken lightly. Cooperative rather than adversarial relationship is likely to produce win win situation for US Pakistan region and the world.
American interests in our region range from stemming the political military and economic expansion of China and Russia up to closely watching Iran Pakistan and CARs for different reasons Pakistan and the United States have undergone various stages of ties from security and military to economic and hardcore diplomacy the only ties having lasting impact are established through public diplomacy and not through huge sums of money in military assistance or state welfare projects. The US is Pakistan’s number one exports destination and the number one supplier of high tech weaponry. The US helps underwrite the international financial system’s support for Pakistan’s ambitions as a growing economy. The US is going to be a partner in the coming war against Daesh. Under President Trump the US will become an even more challenging relationship as Muslims in the US a fair share of whom are Pakistani or of Pakistani origin come under threat. The US is an indispensable partner to Pakistan.
