Bilateral ties between Pakistan and the United States have been shaky ever since US President Donald Trump announced his policy for Afghanistan and South Asia in August, 2017. Trump’s decision to give India a role in the Afghanistan conflict as well as repeated and sometimes aggressive demands that Pakistan should ‘do more’ in the war against terror have antagonised Islamabad, leading to strong reactions. Pakistan is upset that its sacrifices in the war on terror have not been recognised; and now feels emboldened because of its increased closeness with Beijing. The latest crisis erupted with Trump’s tweet on January 1, 2018. In his infamous tweet, Trump alleged that Pakistan had given the US nothing but ‘lies and deceit’ while also taking billions of dollars in US aid. A day after this tweet was posted, the White House confirmed that it had suspended $255 million of military aid to Pakistan. US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley has stated that this is because Pakistan has played a ‘double game’ in Afghanistan. Our own Ambassador to the UN Maleeha Lodhi responded to Haley the next day, saying that the US should not shift the blame for its own mistakes onto others, and that if Pakistan’s efforts are not appreciated, it would review its cooperation with the US. Despite Lodhi’s boldness, the truth remains that Pakistan is dependent on the US for a multitude of reasons. The US is still a big market for Pakistani goods. Furthermore, Pakistan is still dependent on financial institutions like the World Bank, over which the US has significant influence. Yet, Washington would do well to remember that the only viable way to get its military supplies into Afghanistan is through Pakistan. While apportioning blame for the situation in Afghanistan, the Trump administration should keep in mind that the US invaded Afghanistan after 9/11 without any exit strategy in mind. More importantly, the origins of the Taliban militias can be traced back to the Mujahideen that Pakistan and the US trained and funded together during the 1980s. Going forward, the US needs cannot ignore the national interests of other regional players, lest it be seen as an uncooperative bully. Meanwhile, Pakistan should genuinely reconsider its policy of using extremist proxies as foreign policy tools, not because of US pressure but in its own interest. Violent extremists have wreaked havoc by killing thousands of Pakistanis. It is time for introspection and policy review. In the current situation, the best course to adopt is to display patience in response to President Donald Trump’s inane tweets. * Published in Daily Times, January 4th 2018.