Daily Times

One of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with Pakistan soon after its independence was the United States of America. More precisely, it was on October 20, 1947. This warm welcome on to the world map by Washington was mainly because the United States did not want Pakistan to forge diplomatic relations with Russia and join the communist bloc. Pakistan also developed a newfound friendship when it supported the US in fighting against the Russians during the Cold War. Moreover, Pakistan assisted and facilitated the meeting between the US and China when President Richard Nixon made his first official visit to China.

However, Pakistan and the United States had to fortify their joint stance in world diplomatic affairs during the latter parts of the 1970s, especially during the certain era of the Cold War where the US was supporting the Afghan Mujahideen fight against Russia. A twist was awaiting Pakistan following the fall of the then Soviet Union. Washington withdrew its support from Pakistan, leaving the country alone in fighting its many predicaments. The United States did not only leave Pakistan in the dark but also imposed sanctions under the Pressler amendment, sponsored by Larry Lee Pressler, a US Senator. According to this agreement, the US banned most economic and military assistance to Pakistan unless the President certified on an annual basis that “Pakistan does not possess a nuclear explosive device and that the proposed United States assistance program will reduce significantly the risk that Pakistan will possess a nuclear explosive device.”

The US imposed sanctions under the Pressler amendment, sponsored by Larry Lee Pressler, a US Senator. According to this agreement, the US banned most economic and military assistance to Pakistan unless the President certified on an annual basis that “Pakistan does not possess a nuclear explosive device and that the proposed US assistance program will reduce significantly the risk that Pakistan will possess a nuclear explosive device”

Years later, during 2001, the United States again reinforced its ties with Pakistan following the 9/11 incident. However, by becoming an ally in the war against terrorism with the United States, Pakistan had to pay the price as nearly fifty-five thousand Pakistanis gave their lives in incidents, skirmishes, and clashes taking place under the banner of war on terrorism. However, recently, the US again showed a cold shoulder to Pakistan when President Donald Trump suspended the $300 billion Coalition Support Funds. Trump accused Pakistan of rewarding past assistance from Pakistan with “nothing but lies and deceit.”

While the United States and Pakistan have had a rickety rocky relationship, it was perhaps Washington which unearthed Pakistan’s geostrategic location decades ago. Pakistan is situated at a place where it can spread its wings into South Asia, Central Asia, and West Asia. This is why Pakistan has been a trade route for the Central Asian Republics and now, China, its all-weathered friend, is moving forward with the China Pakistan Economic Corridor to capitalize on Pakistan’s geostrategic nature.

While Pakistan’s neighbours, China and Russia, are developing into economic powers, it will be a concern for the US. Pakistan, however, has been strengthening diplomatic and political ties with Russia, another factor compelling the US to keep a close eye on Pakistan.

The US, despite its often friendly and often unfriendly status with Pakistan, has major concerns over China-Pakistan ties. While China fears that the US will cut off China’s trade lines in the South China Sea, Washington also wants to keep China’s economic rise and diplomatic growth under radar. China aims at establishing its marine presence in Gwadar and to develop land routes originating in the Persian Gulf and passing to Western China through Pakistan. Here, the CPEC will strategically benefit both Pakistan and China. Recently, the US diplomatic game plan for South Asia seems to have been concentrating on Pakistan and China. Washington wants to create a stronghold in South Asia or in Central Asia to limit China’s expansion. This is where India comes into the equation of US-Pakistan-China ties. The US, through its coercive diplomatic procedures, wants to reduce Pakistan’s influence over the region. President Donald Trump’s administration has been maligning Pakistan for harbouring terrorists which will not bode well for Pakistan-US ties and will provide India with a rationale to increase its animosity with Pakistan. The US, will keep bolstering its ties with India to counter Pakistan and also to create problem for China. Therefore, Pakistan-US policies may not bring Pakistan and the US on the same page as their interests are clashing. In this case, neither Pakistan will accept Indian hegemony nor will it withdraw itself from CPEC. Only time will tell when another twist in Pakistan-US relation will emerge because it will never be stable.

The writer, an independent researcher and an author, is a columnist writing on diverse topics including current geopolitical affairs

Published in Daily Times, October 15^th 2018.