Daily Times

During the era of cold war, the concept of bilateralism remained a significant element in the relationship of the United States and Pakistan. Under the banner of bilateralism, both states were pursuing certain objectives. The US was using Pakistan’s geo-politics to achieve its strategic objectives. On the other hand, Pakistan desperately needed the US to address its security concerns from western and eastern borders. However, the post-cold war era has seen drastic changes at international level. The US has stolen a march upon world politics and emerged as the sole power which has fabricated a new world order defining its supremacy in world affairs.

Moreover, on global and regional level adjustments and readjustments are being done reluctantly, as the incident of 9/11 shook the foundations of the world. Therefore, unfortunately, being Afghanistan’s Pakistan had to bear the brunt.

After 2001, Pak-US relations were maintained keeping in view the Afghan factor. Being an invading force on Afghan soil, the US did not coincide its strategic objectives with Pakistan. Not only this, the US very skilfully and masterfully promoted Indian influence in Afghanistan who is Pakistan’s arch rival. Thus, the US maintained very cordial relationships between the two hostile neighbours’ and used their geo-politics and strategic location to deal with the Afghan conundrum and the Asian factor in particular.

things have changed now, as Pakistan has decided to pursue its independent foreign policy objectives and relationships with countries on equal footing

Hence, promoting Indian influence in Afghanistan has remained the major irritant between the Pak-US tie since 2001. The last two years were extremely tense between the two cold-war allies. Therefore, to break the feelings of animosity and antipathy, the newly appointed foreign minister of Pakistan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi took an exhaustive ten days visit to the US to break the ice and to put forward Pakistan’s perspective in Afghanistan. He pointed out that, “It will not be appropriate to view our relations going as far back as seven decades from the Afghan perspective or the Indian lens.” Thus, the US should not view Pakistan by keeping in mind India and Afghanistan.

Pursuing this further, Pakistan is enthusiastic to bring peace in the Afghan region as Pakistan’s stability and progress is entirely dependent upon a peaceful Afghanistan. Therefore, if the US is serious to try and bring peace in the ‘graveyard of empires’ and to streamline its relation with Pakistan, reciprocal efforts are needed. Pakistan is facing a severe threat from its eastern border, such as water issues, the lingering Kashmir issue and terrorist attacks by India. Thus, the US as a strategic partner and a super power should use its influence to initiate peace talks in India and Pakistan.

Regrettably, the US expected everything from Pakistan and in return did nothing. This has been the routine since the cold war era but things have changed now, as Pakistan has decided to pursue its independent foreign policy objectives and relationships with countries on equal footing. During the diplomatic meetings of our Foreign Minister with the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the National Security Advisor John Bolton in Washington, the former categorically stated that the US has to recognize Pakistan’s contributions in the prolonged war against terror.

Even though, the US and NATO forces failed to achieve their desired and set goals during 2001-2015, Pakistani forces still successfully achieved their targets. Pakistan has successfully driven Taliban out from its territories, but on other hand, the US could not even manage to vacate the 45 percent of the territory from Afghan forces in Afghanistan.

While efforts are underway to streamline the worsening and flagging Pak-US ties, Washington is widely inclined to follow a balanced approach towards Pakistan and India, to maintain peace in the South-Asian region. Moreover, being the sole superpower, the US has certain international obligations to solve the long standing conflicts between both the countries. Hence, regional peace along with the stability in Afghanistan is linked to Pak-India ties.

US should work as a mediator between the ancient hostile neighbours to achieve long standing peace in the region. The policies of discrimination and alienation from the US side will only further sabotage the peace efforts. Thus, all the three powers need to move diplomatically to streamline the regional apparatus for peace, security, progress and development.

The writer is a Quetta based columnist and an Independent researcher. He can be reached at Asadhussainma@yahoo.com

Published in Daily Times, October 17^th 2018.