Let bygones be bygones, said PM Shehbaz last week at a US Embassy ceremony in Islamabad marking the 75th anniversary of US-Pak ties. America, the much-bigger partner in thisrelationship, seems to agree. A number of developments over the past five months since the new government took over indicate that both countries are taking measures to move past the obstacles and re-set the strategies ties. Again, it is Pakistan’s economic crisis and America’s geopolitical urgency of the time that have intersected.
Successful diplomacy is often built on personal relationships. So it came as a relief when the young foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto – a political heir who has spent his life meeting statesmen and diplomats – was able to hit it off with his American counterpart. Taking stock of several bilateral meetings between FM Bilawal and Secretary Antony Blinken over the past few months, one can notice a degree of warmth and respect, and a desire to engage on both sides, that was hardly seen in such interactions in recent years.
During the latter half of former PM Khan’s time in office, the bilateral relationship suffered as a result of personal egos, change of administration in DC, and the diplomatic fallout from the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. Pakistan’s initial response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine – spotlighted by Khan’s badly-timed visit to Moscow the same day as Putinordered his troops to cross into Ukraine – threatened to unravel the relationship completely.
Still, the security component of US-Pak ties was kept alivein recent years by relevant officials, providing a platform for future relationship to rebound at some point.Now those background engagements – and the new government’s charm offensive – seemto be working.
Numbers don’t lie. Of the roughly $100 million raised by the UN for its flash-appeal for Pakistan Floods Response Plan, more than half are provided by the United States alone, beating other countries in the West or the East by a long shot. More American aid is on the way, which will have the effect of sensitizing other countries to increase their contributions as well. A donor conference is also in the works.
Pakistan’s call for bilateral debt relief in the wake of the floods has been answered first by the US. Last week, the Biden administration announced debt relief for Pakistan worth $132 million. Leading by example, the US move could be seen as an attempt to motivate/persuade/coax other large lenders inside and outside of the Paris Club to do the same. The IMF, all of a sudden, has also shown inclination to relax certain conditions for upcoming EFF review, something which the US seems to have encouraged.
In what is being construed as a key diplomatic opening was the US decision last month to provide $450 million worth of support to sustain Pakistan’s F-16 programme, which is an important part of theUS-Pak relationship (and its ups and downs) since the 1980s. This development will start creating goodwill for the US in Pakistan. Responding to strong Indian criticism to this security cooperation, the US officials have gone out of their way to defend it.
US officials have made it plain that keeping Pakistan’s F-16 fleet functional is vital for Pakistan’s counter-terrorism operations and it supportsUS national security. India has been told that US-Pak relations stand on their own merit. There is context. Considering India’s reluctance to support the West on Ukraine crisis, its continued strong relationship with Russia and its sad treatment of minorities, the US has felt betrayed. Washington perhaps realizes that it cannot lose Pakistan (and in turn, South Asia region) for good.
After quite a long break, there is now a clear case for both the US and Pakistani governments to increase bilateral cooperation. Building on these recent developments, there is a need to restructure the US-Pak bilateral relationship around common causes (and shared global agenda) such as climate change, food security, public health, equitable infrastructure development, etc. Let’s wait and see how things develop.
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