US Secretary of State John Kerry is in Pakistan on a two-day official visit to meet the political and military leadership and attend the Pakistan-US strategic dialogue. The visit comes at a crucial time for the present security situation and Pakistan-US bilateral relations. The main talking points will be Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US forces, defusing tensions between Pakistan and India after recent border skirmishes, US financial and military assistance to Pakistan in various sectors, and counter-terrorism. After the US pullout from Afghanistan, Pakistan can play either a negative or a positive role. The US still needs the support of Pakistan for bringing normalcy in Afghanistan. In the wake of recent threats from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, Pakistan has attained more importance. Mr Kerry, who is widely seen as pro-Pakistan, having authored the Kerry-Lugar-Berman Act for aid to Pakistan that is now in the doldrums, will further pursue good ties with Pakistan due to its geopolitical importance. On its part, the government of Pakistan will convey its concerns to the US about Indian actions on the border. A trust deficit has always been the main feature of the transactional relationship historically between Pakistan and the US. Hidden and not so concealed feelings of betrayal have always been the hallmark of this love-hate relationship over the years. Though successive Pakistani leaderships have always been pro-west, yet they have never been able to win the complete trust of the US. While safeguarding its own interests, the US is following a nuanced policy between India and Pakistan. Mainly two factors explain this phenomenon. First, China is in quest of attaining the status of a superpower, which the US wishes to contain. Second, the US views India favourably, both as a counterweight to the rise of China, as well as because of India’s huge emerging economy as a vast consumer market with untold business opportunities. In this perspective, Mr Kerry’s presence in Pakistan has profound implications for the future. Both states depend on each other in areas related to their national interests. The US is in dire need of Pakistan’s political, diplomatic and military help to deal with the terror groups posing a serious threat to the region’s stability. It also wants to prevent the hegemony of China while in return Islamabad looks for military and economic assistance from Washington. This visit will determine the prospects of furthering relations between the two countries. Presently, no one is sure about the results of the strategic dialogue. However, it is a good sign that the US is still engaging with Pakistan with an eye to the future. However, it is premature to attempt to predict the outcome of the present interaction. *