Daily Times

For a time, the US and Pakistan were in danger of running an important bilateral relationship aground atop a mountain of mutual suspicions and recriminations. Indeed, polarising issues increasingly dominated mutual ties. The chorus of accusations levelled at Pakistan included being a nominal ally in the war on terrorism, using violent non-state actors to de-stabilise neighbouring countries and facilitating nuclear proliferation. Equally, the US finger pointing for its own lack of success in stabilising Afghanistan alarmed Pakistan. The growing US strategic partnership with regional rival India also played into Pakistan’s insecurities. While mutual concerns have not entirely disappeared, a better convergence of interests is visible after Prime Minister (PM) Sharif’s trip to the US.

An important reason why the US-Pakistan relationship is on a better trajectory is that Pakistanis have recognised, belatedly, that their tryst with extremism has been hugely counterproductive. This acknowledgement has led to decisive action being taken against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Finally, after killing many Pakistanis over a decade, the TTP is considered a real threat to the country. For its part, the US quite rightly continues to stress that Pakistan undertake effective counter-terrorism actions and not discriminate against terror groups including the Haqqani network and Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT). However, the US has probably concluded that a multifaceted relationship with Pakistan can best help in managing the challenges that both countries face, particularly the continued chaos and violence in Afghanistan and West Asia, which threatens to destabilise the region and beyond.

Obviously, of immediate interest to both the US and Pakistan (and sadly a bit of a pipe-dream) is a secure, stable, prosperous Afghanistan. Clearly, an Afghan peace process, Afghan-owned and Afghan-led, without foreign interference has the best chance of success. Pakistan can play an important role to help create conditions for a secure, stable and prosperous Afghanistan, part of a secure, stable and prosperous region. But neither the US nor Pakistan can impose a government on the Afghan people. Now that the US has decided that in the near-turn it is unwise to fully exit from Afghanistan, it can actively work with Pakistan and others to revive the Afghan peace process.

Moreover, Pakistan’s relationship with India is critical to Pakistan’s future. Normalisation of relations between the two countries is important for both to them and for stability in the region. In this context, the US cannot choose between Pakistan and India or tilt towards either of them. The US’ relations with Pakistan and India stand on their respective merits. US policy based on a composite approach involving India, Pakistan and Afghanistan can help in the search for stability and peace in the region.

Furthermore, it would be a mistake for Pakistan to bet solely on its strategic importance and nuclear weapons’ capability in relations with Washington. The US is Pakistan’s largest trading partner with bilateral trade at five billion dollars a year. And the US is a significant source of foreign direct investment into Pakistan. As a superpower, the US can use its considerable bilateral and multilateral economic leverage to compel Pakistan to cooperate. Having said that, any major US pressure on Pakistan could have the opposite of a desired effect by weakening the civilian government or creating more public ill will towards the US. Either outcome could well prove disastrous for Washington.

Bilateral relations also depend on the attitudes of governments that profoundly affect the views of opinion-makers and the public, attitudes that are difficult to erase. In the past, the Pakistani establishment roped in a pliant media to join the chorus accusing the US of nefarious designs towards Pakistan, including depriving it of its nuclear weapons’ capability. Local commentators harped on about the evil intentions that the US has towards Pakistan and the Muslim world. The fact that the US has propped up Pakistan since its creation belies the charge that it has hostile intentions. Hopefully, as bilateral relations and mutual confidence improve, the negative din will die down.

Ultimately, the US-Pakistan relationship is more important than just the counter-terrorism or military linkage. The US must remain committed to a broad, sustainable and enduring partnership with Pakistan that delivers progress for the Pakistani people and reinforces Pakistan’s democracy and civil society. Above all, it would help if the political representatives retain primacy over bilateral negotiations to put the relationship on a more solid footing. Traditionally, this has proven difficult as the military establishment controls strategic policies in Pakistan. The US has found it more effective therefore to deal directly with the military brass and the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). This approach ought to change.

In conclusion, the US-Pakistan relationship today is a mixture of opportunities and challenges on global issues such as maintenance of peace and security, combating violent non-state actors, women’s empowerment, energy and climate change, and negotiation of trade agreements. In the face of complex challenges, the bilateral relationship requires adaptability, nimbleness and flexibility. Both sides can strengthen the relationship by demonstrating a higher degree of sensitivity to mutual concerns with an understanding that agreement on every issue is not possible.

The writer can be reached at shgcci@gmail.com