U.S.-Pakistan Relations: Strategic Partnership Challenges

Introduction

The United States 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, Pakistan has benefited from both economic and military aid from the U.S. However, in recent times, the U.S.-Pakistan relationship appears to have wavered — particularly since the Trump administration came to power and began advancing the America First agenda.

In an article titled Problem Solving in National Security (NSP820A), Group 1 identifies a number of factors that have contributed to the strained relationship between the U.S. and Pakistan — two former allies since the late 1940s. The authors are categorical that the soured relationship between the two countries damages the interests of both. Towards this end, the authors paint a vivid picture of the desired end-state of U.S.-Pakistani strategic partnership and highlight a range of measures that ought to be embraced in seeking to realize that end-state.

PMESII-PT Assessment and the Desired End-State

According to the authors of the article under review, 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 highly relevant in seeking a practical and mutually beneficial way forward. Towards this end, the authors produce a PMESII-PT assessment and clearly state the desired end-state.

In doing so, the authors observe that there is a need to foster an enduring partnership between the two nations founded upon a stable political system — one in which Pakistan's military influence is supplanted by societal influence, and in which Pakistan's reliance upon U.S. aid is minimal. The desired end-state would also comprise a stable Pakistan that is able to resist Chinese and Iranian influence, responsibly manage its nuclear program, and actively participate in the war against terrorism.

Further, the authors argue that as Pakistan experiences modernization, the U.S. should direct its efforts toward promoting information flow to the country's educated middle class. This would increase that social category's geopolitical awareness — a development that, in the authors' assessment, would help create systems and structures not dependent upon military oversight.

Gaps in the Analysis: Mutual Respect and Shared Responsibility

It is important to note that the authors acknowledge Pakistan has suffered adverse consequences as a result of its partnership with the U.S. This assertion is reinforced by Khalid, who holds that "Pakistan's participation in the U.S. war against terror put extra burden on Pakistan's economy."¹ However, the authors fail to mention that the relationship between the two countries must also be founded on mutual respect.

For instance, the U.S. ought to remain sensitive to Pakistani-Indian tensions and avoid actions that could be read as a slight against either country. As Faisal points out, "the US is deepening its strategic engagement with India, Pakistan's arch-rival."² Khan further observes that the West has occasionally collaborated with India in the advancement of information warfare against Pakistan.³ The deepening of the U.S.-India strategic relationship thus carries significant implications for Pakistani trust in its American partner.

Pakistan, for its part, must also avoid duplicitous conduct. Even though it has previously indicated its commitment to 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."⁴ The authors of the article also fail to adequately appreciate the role the U.S. itself has played in the decline of the bilateral relationship. On several occasions, the U.S. has signaled a lack of trust in Pakistan — most notably through the Abbottabad raid and sustained U.S. covert military operations in Pakistan.⁵ These actions have materially damaged the partnership and deserve fuller treatment in any comprehensive analysis.

Conclusion

In the final analysis, the authors of the article under review have, to a large extent, made an accurate representation of the issue at hand. The recommendations they advance are valid and founded on an in-depth analysis of a wide range of factors — including, but not limited to, the prevailing operational environment across political, military, economic, social, informational, and infrastructural dimensions. The assessment of the geopolitical and socioeconomic factors at play is also balanced, particularly with respect to what each country has to lose as a consequence of the current impasse. The sources relied upon are current and reliable, further enhancing the validity of the information presented and the conclusions reached.

References

Khalid, Asifa. "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.

Rashid, Muhammad, Umbreen Javaid, and Muhammad 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.