Maemuna Sadaf
US President Donald Trump has finalized US policy for Pakistan and Afghanistan. US has toughened its policy on Pakistan accusing it for supporting terrorism in Afghanistan. Peace in Afghanistan is interdependent with peace in Pakistan and Indian influence in Kabul.
Pakistan would face some strictness and US pressure specifically for defense, trade among Afghanistan trade transit and nuclear policies. Trump mulls tough stance on Pakistan, as Washington accused Islamabad of destabilizing Afghanistan. Also, critics accused Pakistan of allowing jihadi groups to use Pakistani soil to plot terrorist attacks against America and Afghan forces across the border, naming Pakistan as “Heaven for militants”.
US can also create some hurdles in the way of Pak-China regional connectivity, CPEC etc. To influence China, US aid can be relinquished.
Indo-US defense and civil deals will be stronger after implementation of new policy. US already strengthen ties with India undermine chance of break through with Pakistan.
US policy will be announced after discussion of high officials including expansion of drone attacks, redirecting or with holding a part of aid to Pakistan, eventually downgrading Pakistan as non NATO ally. In past, Pakistan has faced with holding of direct aid from US, as it shown mistrust on Government of Pakistan. The matter of drone attacks in Pakistan’s territory was highly criticized in the past.
A proposal has also been submitted regarding sending 5,000 additional troops to Afghanistan. Although precise actions have not been decided yet but strengthening bilateral ties to India is already in process. Careless bad blood between India and Pakistan has led to ever present sense of precociousness.
The US trend lines towards Pakistan established last ten years are too deeply entrenched to change over the course of Donald trump. US Pakistan relations are complex. US policy about Pakistan has been varied from time to time. In the regime of Donald trump, US policy tilted as Pro-India, adopting an Anti-Muslim approach. Although, Pakistani passport was not banned like other seven Muslim states but US policy remained strict.The recent policy shift is a result of charge of a terrorist attack in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul killing more than 80 persons and leaving 460 wounded. Kabul linked the ties of this bomb blast to Haqqani network with the assistance from Pakistan. Islamabad denied the charge. US has continued pressurizing Pakistan to do more against terrorism. As US designated Haqqani network a terrorist organization in 2012, hence wanted Pakistan to put a ban on Haqqani network and act against this network. Opinions to expand US drone attacks deeper in Pakistan’s territory are also under review. Pakistan’s chief of Army staff criticized “unilateral actions” such as drone attacks as it can hurt the ongoing US Pakistan cooperation against terrorism. Concluding more, after the new US policy, bilateral relations of US and Pakistan have entered into a new era. Pakistan foreign policy also needs to be effective like India. Pakistan should take serious notice of new US policy shift and act accordingly. US policy shift has increased a thought in Pakistan to review its foreign policy as well.
