There can be no second opinion in the conviction being largely floated in the arena of international relations that the interstate differences provide an expedient recipe for diplomacy and that the wistful management of disagreement is the real test of bilateralism between the states. This argument is rightly applicable to the debate of US-Pakistan relations – whose chemistry albeit complex yet remains organically intact. In January, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham by declaring that Pakistan and the United States entered a new strategic partnership for economic gains and peaceful settlement of having had the 18-year-old Afghan conflict indicated that he would request President Donald Trump to meet Prime Minister Imran Khan soon to cement the bilateral relations further. In this backdrop, PM Imran Khan’s upcoming US visit (July 21-23) seems highly instrumental in restrategising the US-Pakistan ties. Initially, the official confirmation of the rendezvous between the two leaders came a day after the US State Department officially designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) as a global terrorist group, thereby having the way for reciprocal actions by the UN and other states respectively. As for the most probable agenda of the meeting, a statement issued by White House said President Donald J. Trump will welcome Prime Minister Imran Khan of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan at the White House on July 22, 2019. The visit will focus on strengthening cooperation between the United States and Pakistan to bring peace, stability, and economic prosperity to a region that has seen far too much conflict, it said. The statement added President Trump and Prime Minister Khan will discuss a range of issues, including counter-terrorism, defense, energy, and trade, with the goal of creating the conditions for a peaceful South Asia and an enduring partnership between our two countries. This is a good omen that the administration in Washington has tried to dispel the impression about the strained US-Pakistan ties. It also seems encouraging that the gravity of diplomatic pragmatism is being rightly and bilaterally endorsed by the policymakers in both Washington and Islamabad. The irrevocable truth is: both the US and Pakistan need each other According to the US State Department report (June 21) on the US-Pakistan relations, ” Pakistan is the sixth largest country in the world by population and the 40th largest economy. The United States is Pakistan’s largest export destination country, while China is Pakistan’s largest import partner. Despite ongoing security and macroeconomic concerns, Pakistan remains an attractive market for U.S. companies due to favorable demographics, English language skills, low labor costs, and natural resources; however, there are real trade and investment barriers that limit the ability of U.S. companies to enter the market and grow their businesses in Pakistan. Overall U.S.-Pakistan trade in 2018 reached a record high of $6.6 billion, an increase of 4 per cent from the previous year. U.S. exports to Pakistan increased 4 per cent to reach an all-time high of $2.9 billion in 2018. While bilateral trade has remained strong in 2019, Pakistan will need to pursue economic reforms to promote future economic growth. Major U.S. investments are concentrated in fast-moving consumer goods, chemicals, energy, agriculture, out-sourcing, transportation, and communications”. The said report further endorses that Pakistan has also taken some action against externally-focused militant groups and UN-designated terrorist organizations operating from its territory in accordance with its National Action Plan against terrorism and Prime Minister Imran’s Khan’s public commitments. Nevertheless, recalibration of new US-Pakistan relations must be based beyond past vagaries of US’ realist/constructivist paradigm. To precisely examine the complexities entailed in this sensitive relationship is not out of context here. US relations with India and Pakistan have long been generally described as hyphenated by many of the American strategists and yet ironically it is now said that it has been de-hyphenated. These labels do not fit into the US, India and Pakistan triangle. Obviously, when there arose the situation wherein America’s critical interests were involved with Pakistan, such as during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 80s, the US would hardly care about Indian reaction. And when these interests were related with India like in the Sino Indian war in 1962 Washington would not care much about Pakistani reaction. So where lies the hyphen then? Pakistan’s Irony is that in the Congress as well as in the US the print and electronic media its critics have been permanent but friends are temporary. On the contrary, the Indian lobby in the US Congress, including the State Department, the Pentagon and White House dominates the Pakistani side. Put differently, these US institutions tolerate differences with Pakistan when there are overriding strategic interests but when these interests have been served the attention is shifted to the negatives. Pakistan justifiably feels that Washington defines bilateral relations entirely from the Afghan prism, the dialogue has reduced to US unwarranted blaming Pakistan for safe havens. While Pakistan has been in the US camp for decades, it met its part of the deal at the cost of impairing relations with other major powers and even ended up destabilizing itself. In my candid view, the irrefutable truth is that it is geopolitical realism that seems to have driven a US utilitarian approach towards South Asia. The US used Pakistan aptly during the Cold War and the post-Cold War periods. The role Pakistan army played for Washington in the US waged 17 year war on terror In Afghanistan remains unprecedented since no military is so operationally and skillfully capable to fight with the terrorist as has been the Pakistani army. This is a globally acknowledged fact. Positively and sanely by now, the Trump administration duly understands the unavoidable importance of Pakistan- US relations in terms of a foreseeable future. This is a good omen that the administration in Washington has tried to dispel the impression about the strained US-Pakistan ties. It also seems encouraging that the gravity of diplomatic pragmatism is being rightly and bilaterally endorsed by the policymakers in both Washington and Islamabad. The irrevocable truth is: both the US and Pakistan need each other. PM Imran Khan’s next week visit to Washington may provide an excellent opportunity to revitalise the scope of bilateralism between the two states. The US policy quarters must fairly admit Pakistan’s military role in the war on terror. But for many analysts, give the reality that the threats of terrorism are not fully ended both regionally and globally, how far this US strategy –to not receive Pakistani military support –remains viably workable? The future US military Chief Gen Mark Milly is of the view that the United States needs to maintain strong military-to-military ties with Pakistan, based on the shared interests of the two countries. The writer is an independent ‘IR’ researcher and international law analyst based in Pakistan