Daily Times

The South Asian region has become contagious to the extra-regional forces. These forces have been playing an integral role in regional politics of South Asia. Consequently, the US’ role in South Asia has increasingly become more significant with respect to Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and the changing geopolitical landscape. The historic political stance of the US to promote peace in the region is well appreciated, however, actions could be reinterpreted otherwise. The prevailing hypothesis regarding the US’ desire for the peaceful coexistence between Pakistan-India and Pakistan-Afghanistan can be challenged, keeping in mind, the US’ visible title towards India and its lack of will to act as an honest broker in South Asia.

At regional level, Pakistan promotes peaceful ties with its all neighbouring countries including India and Afghanistan. Pakistan supports the Afghan peace process and its efforts towards a Quadrilateral dialogue- which includes Pakistan, China, Russia and Afghanistan. Pakistan is also a strong advocate of Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) between India and Pakistan, despite India’s deliberate attempt to sabotage Prime Minister Khan’s good will gesture for promoting peace in the region. India’s rhetoric is well known and was merely staged to pre-empt Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Qureshi’s speech at UNGA, which highlighted India’s atrocities in the Indian-held Kashmir. Moreover, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government and the Indian Army Chief’s threatening statements against Pakistan also harmed the regional peace in South Asia.

The US’ stance under the prevailing situation needs to be explored. It has been rightly argued by realists that the US wants to establish its monopoly in the South Asian region to safeguard its national objectives. The increasing Indo-US defence partnership also provides a geo-strategic advantage to the US vis-à-vis China. While, the recent US Strategic Trade Authorization-1 (STA-1) waiver to India provides access to the dual use military items that undermine the regional stability of the region. The Foreign Office also responded and said that “Pakistan believes in free access to dual use technologies for socioeconomic development and peaceful usage without discrimination. However, supply of technologies and advanced weaponry that can undermine the regional strategic balance is detrimental to regional peace and security. This is not the first time that control over transfer of sensitive goods are being relaxed for political considerations contrary to the non-proliferation intent of such controls”.

Thus, the US needs to understand the core issue that dual use military technology can be utilised against Pakistan, as India considers both Pakistan and China a threat.

This is mainly because the Trump Administration is pushing India to invest and ease the US’ financial burden in Afghanistan. According to the former US’ Secretary of State, Tillerson, the US sees India as a stabilizer in Afghanistan, but Indian activity in Afghanistan and its regional ambitions state otherwise

Furthermore, on the Afghan Peace Process, the US wants a peaceful Afghanistan and supports the political peace process. But it is yet to be seen whether the US resumes the trilateral Pak-US-Afghanistan dialogue or adds India as an additional dialogue partner. This is mainly because the Trump Administration is pushing India to invest and ease the US’ financial burden in Afghanistan. According to the former US’ Secretary of State, Tillerson, the US sees India as a stabilizer in Afghanistan, but Indian activity in Afghanistan and its regional ambitions state otherwise. Similarly, India’s regional hegemonic design and aggressive behaviour affects regional stability vis-à-vis Pakistan, and it can never facilitate peace in the Pak-Afghan region.

So all these regional developments further complicate the US’ role as a peace promoter in the region. Therefore, the US needs to pursue a balanced policy towards India and Pakistan, if it wants peace and stability in a highly volatile region, otherwise the results would be catastrophic.

The author is a Visiting Research Fellow at South Asian Strategic Stability Institute Islamabad

Published in Daily Times, October 13^th 2018.