ISLAMABAD – The unsettled marriage between Pakistan and the US continues towitness ripples since the commencement of Trump’s presidency. Recently, theUnited State has decided to place restrictions on the movements ofPakistani diplomats, forcing them to limit their movements within a radiusof 40km in the cities they are posted. As a result, Pakistan in a tit fortat move has imposed similar restrictions on American diplomats as per theannouncement of Foreign Ministry.
Interestingly, in another move, the US has blocked Pakistan’s move ofadding a leader of the Jamaatul Ahrar, JuA, faction of the banned TTP,Abdul Wali, alias Umer Khorasani to the UN sanction committee. Despite thefact that the JuA, organization which Khorasani leads, was added to the UNsanction committee in mid-2017 last year. These moves along with thequagmire in Afghanistan have further strained the already tensed Pak-USrelations.
A lot has been written and detailed discourses have been deliberated bymuch of our print and electronic media. Except for few rational approaches,most of the arguments are painted with blinded patriotism on our side andin the US; frustration over the decade-long war in Afghanistan is flashedout by lambasting Pakistan.
Undeniably, both sides have genuine reservations which are needed to bedealt seriously rather than pointing dubious fingers at each other. Thevery nature of this unholy alliance with its historical roots and baggagehas been mostly misinterpreted and has widely remained misunderstood.
The central dilemma within Pak-US relationship is the lack of long-termstrategic convergence. However, if history remains the guide, therelationship does enjoy honeymoon periods of mutual love, respect andbilateral praise. But at a larger spectrum, the relationship continues tobe deprived of long-term strategic convergence as enjoyed and celebrated byPakistan and China. History illustrates that throughout of their bilateralengagements each side has used the other to advance its own interest forthe sake of others. Both have enjoyed temporal success but not without acost.
Most of Pakistani’s complain of US provisional temperament. It is perceivedand supported by past events that as soon as the interest of US is servedor surpasses the expiry date, Pakistan is abandoned, as it was in case ofthe Afghan war in the 1990s. Not only had it left Pakistan alone butfollowed Pressler Sanctions.
Similarly, the relationship in Pakistan has been used as a seal oflegitimacy by most of the undemocratic regimes here. This along withaddiction of aid and arms has further caused problems. For instance, InAfghan war of 1979, General Zia, the then President presented and openedPakistani routes to the US to gain legitimacy for his government and soughteconomic aid and military craft.
However, as soon as the Afghan war was won against Russia by joint US andPakistan collusion, difficulties became evident once the US abandonedPakistan, and thus Pakistan was left vulnerable and the corridors of powerin Pakistan felt betrayed and the seeds of mistrust were sown.
The same episode was repeated soon after the calamity of 9/11. Gen PervezMusharaf, the then President in order to attain the badge of legitimacy forhis government took a strategic summersault and turned his guns against theTaliban, once our blue-eyed boys. Again alone with the legitimacy of theregime, aid and military craft were sought. With past experience, this timePakistan did not show its all cards and tried to play from both ends.Similarly, US administration also played a dubious role.
In both events of history, the bilateral Pak-US relation has been formed onshort-term strategic convergence without deliberations over long-termeffect. However, the irregularities soon haunted back by surfacing and thenkilling of Osama bin Laden, the most wanted Man in US, the Salala Checkpost incident, where Pakistan arm forces were targeted by US gunships andthen the killing of Maulana Akhtar Mansoor, the Afghan Taliban leader, byUS drone within Pakistan’s boundaries which brought the relationship to itslowest ebb. The major cause has been the lack of mutual trust and long-termstrategic convergence.
With Trump in office and the initial punishment indicted by US Authorities,the relationship counties to dive low in days to come. The most importantmeasures which need immediate response are to continue talking. The recentmeeting between Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and US VicePresident Mike Pence was a step in a right direction.
Pakistan needs to come clean about its influence over the Afghan Taliban,and tell the world its actual position on the group
However, the meeting did not prove to be fruitful as per the current statusof the relationship is considered. Furthermore, the recent posting of MikePompeo, the ex-CIA Chief as Secretary of state does not promise a goodomen, keeping in view the hard-line followed by him against Pakistan.
Both sides need to listen to bilateral complain and to be trustworthy incase of addressing the grievances. Both share equal blame and both haveplayed a significant role in creating an atmosphere of mistrust. US mustaddress Pakistani apprehension, especially, Indian oriental security issueswithin Afghanistan. Moreover, the presence of Pakistani Taliban and othergroups within Afghanistan engaged in destabilising Pakistan must be lookedupon to address Pakistani grievances.
On the Pakistani front, Pakistan should come clear over its level ofinfluence within the files of Taliban and should demonstrate its actualposition on the Taliban. Until and unless a convergence within is notestablished, the relationship would witness ups and downs. The currentstained will not only deteriorate the bilateral relationship but would havea larger impact within the region of South-Asia, particularly inAfghanistan.
BY: Hammal Kashnai. *The author is a Graduate of International Relationsfrom National Defence University (NDU) Islamabad and a freelance writer*