Daily Times

The government seems pretty optimistic about the kind of working relationship it is going to have with the new Biden administration in Washington, with good reason, but it will have to be mindful of a number of very important issues. It’s true that getting out of Afghanistan quickly is among America’s principal aims in the region, and everybody has finally come round to accepting Pakistan’s importance in untying this particular knot. But it’s still important to remember that Biden’s opinion of Pakistan’s alleged role in the war is coloured by his experience of it as vice president, when the Pakistani government and military were held responsible for everything that was going wrong. And since Biden will not be as impatient as Trump to wrap things up in Afghanistan, and he’s already said that he would review the whole situation before deciding what to do next, Islamabad would have to be very cautious in its approach. That is all the more important because violence in Afghanistan has increased since he talks got going.

There is some good news already from the incoming defence secretary, former General Lloyd Austin, regarding bilateral military ties which were temporary suspended by President Trump in one of us usual fits of anger. That was the first time that Pakistan was excluded from the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program, which is known to survive even the worst breakdowns in the political relationship because it allows the two countries’ militaries to stay connected.

But whether or not the Pakistani government’s expectation that the new American government would be more sympathetic about the fate of poor Kashmiris than its counterparts is correct remains to be seen. Let’s not forget that the US moved away from Pakistan and embraced India as its main ally in the region, as part of the Pivot to Asia policy meant to contain China’s long term rise, during the Obama presidency when Biden was VP. And considering how China is now a much bigger thorn in America’s side and Pakistan is its number-one regional partner and supporter, we should be prepared for at least a little bit of turbulence on this front. It would be very unfortunate if such issues overshadow the strong case that Pakistan has made so far against Indian excesses in Kashmir, so measure of diplomatic finesse will be needed, to say the least. PM Imran Khan, for his part, has made the right decision to try and meet the new US president as soon as possible.  *