US Pakistan Relations Recommendations for Improvement

U.S.-Pakistan Relations

Introduction

The U.S. and Pakistan have been strategic partners for a long time. While the U.S. has benefited from the active utilization of Pakistani infrastructure in its war against terrorism in the region, Pakistani has been a beneficiary of both economic and military aid from the U.S. However, in recent times, the U.S.-Pakistani relationship appears to have wavered. This is particularly the case since the current U.S. President won the elections and started advancing the America first agenda. In an article titled Problem Solving in National Security CENTCOM Elective (NSP820A), Group 1 points out that there are quite a number of factors that have contributed to the wavering relationship between the U.S. and Pakistan – two former great allies since the late 40s. The authors are categorical that the soured relationship between the two countries affects the interests of both countries. Towards this end, the authors paint a vivid picture of the desired end-state of U.S.-Pakistani strategic partnership and highlight a raft of measures that ought to be embraced in seeking to actualize the said desired end-state.

Discussion

According to the authors of the present auricle, the worsening of the relationship between the U.S. and Pakistan ends up hurting the interests of both countries. An assessment of the prevailing operational environment is of great relevance in seeking to find a practical and mutually beneficial way forward. Towards this end, the authors come up with a PMESII-PT assessment and clearly state the desired end-state. In so doing, the authors observe that there is need to foster an enduring partnership between the two nations that is largely founded upon a stable political system – where Pakistan’s military influence is supplanted by societal influence, and where Pakistan’s reliance upon U.S. aid is minimal. The desired end state would also comprise of a stable Pakistan that is able to resist Chinese/Iran influence and responsibly captain its nuclear program while actively participating in the war against terrorism. Further, it is important to note that according to the authors, as Pakistan experiences modernization, the U.S. should direct its efforts towards the promotion of information flow to the educated middle class in the country. This would in turn further increase this particular social category’s geopolitical awareness – a move that, in the assessment of the authors, would help in the creation of systems and structures that are not dependent upon military oversight.

It is important to note that the authors appreciate the fact that Pakistani has suffered adverse consequences as a result of its partnership with the U.S. This is an assertion reinforced by Khalid who is of the opinion that “Pakistan participation in U.S. war against terror put extra burden on Pakistan’s economy.”[endnoteRef:1] The authors of the present article, however, fail to mention that the relationship between the two countries needs to be founded on mutual respect. For instance, the U.S. ought to be aware of the Pakistani-India tensions and avoid doing anything that could be read as a slight on either countries. It is instructive to note that as Faisal points out, “the US is deepening its strategic engagement with India, Pakistan’s arch-rival.”[endnoteRef:2] Khan also observes that the west has occasionally collaborated with India in the advancement of IW against Pakistan.[endnoteRef:3] Pakistan also ought to avoid underhand dealings and undertakings that boarder on hypocrisy. This is more so the case given that even though it has in the past indicated its commitment to continue partnering with the U.S. in the war against terror, “the United States continues to face threats from transnational terrorists and militants operating from within Pakistan.”[endnoteRef:4] The authors of the present article also fail to appreciate the role that the U.S. has played in the decline of its relations with its former ally. Severally, the U.S. has indicated that it does not have trust on Pakistan. A case in point is the Abbottabad raid and the sustained US covert military operations in Pakistan.[endnoteRef:5] [1: Asifa Khalid, “Impact of Terrorism on the Economy of Pakistan,” Pakistan Vision 21, No. 1 (2020): 404.] [2: Faisal, “CPEC and Regional Connectivity: Navigating the South Asian Politics,” 3.] [3: Khan, Khurshid, “Understanding information warfare and its relevance to Pakistan,” Strategic Studies 39, No. 4 (2019): 140. ] [4: “National Security Strategy of the United States of America,” The White House, last modified December, 2017, https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/NSS-Final-12-18-2017-0905.pdf] [5: Rashid, Muhammad, Umbreen Javaid, and Muhamad Shamshad, “Pakistan-US Relations after 9/11: Points of Divergence,” South Asian Studies 33, No. 2 (2018): 544. ]

In my opinion, efforts on the political front will be the biggest determinant of the direction that the relations between the two countries take. The U.S. needs to embrace the fact that Pakistan cannot be wished away in attempts to foster the region’s stability. To a large extent, the U.S. assumed a hardline stance on Pakistan from the moment that the Trump administration came into power. Before long, the U.S. halted some ongoing training programs (military and education) and erected fresh restrictions on Pakistani diplomat movements within the country. Although political tension between the two counties has in some instances appeared to be thawing, perhaps due to Trump’s focus on Pakistani help to exit Afghanistan, the relevance of ensuring long-term stability in the region cannot be overstated in as far as continued counterterrorism efforts are concerned. The role of Pakistani in this regard continues to be pivotal. Thus, my position is that the two countries should find a new basis for their relationship – without Afghanistan necessarily being part of the equation. This is more so the case given that combating terrorism happens to be one of the joint force prioritized missions.[endnoteRef:6] Indeed, “terrorism remains a persistent condition driven by ideology and unstable political and economic structures, despite the defeat of ISIS’s physical caliphate.”[endnoteRef:7] [6: “The National Military Strategy of the United States of America 2015, ” Chiefs of Staff, last modified June, 2015, https://www.jcs.mil/Portals/36/Documents/Publications/2015_National_Military_Strategy.pdf] [7: “Summary of the 2018 national Defense Strategy of the United States of America,” Department of Defense, last modified 2018, https://dod.defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/pubs/2018-National-Defense-Strategy-Summary.pdfBibliographyAsifa Khalid, “Impact of Terrorism on the Economy of Pakistan,” Pakistan Vision 21, No. 1 (2020): 404.Faisal, “CPEC and Regional Connectivity: Navigating the South Asian Politics,” 3.Khan, Khurshid, “Understanding information warfare and its relevance to Pakistan,” Strategic Studies 39, No. 4 (2019): 140. “National Security Strategy of the United States of America,” The White House, last modified December, 2017, https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/NSS-Final-12-18-2017-0905.pdfRashid, Muhammad, Umbreen Javaid, and Muhamad Shamshad, “Pakistan-US Relations after 9/11: Points of Divergence,” South Asian Studies 33, No. 2 (2018): 544. “The National Military Strategy of the United States of America 2015, ” Chiefs of Staff, last modified June, 2015, https://www.jcs.mil/Portals/36/Documents/Publications/2015_National_Military_Strategy.pdf“Summary of the 2018 national Defense Strategy of the United States of America,” Department of Defense, last modified 2018, https://dod.defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/pubs/2018-National-Defense-Strategy-Summary.pdf]