ISLAMABAD – A lot is going on in Pakistani-US relations: There was USPresident Donald Trump’s New Year’s tweet and various American attempts toput Pakistan on the global terrorist-financing watch list. More recentlythe Trump administration imposed sanctions on seven Pakistani firms forsupposedly nuclear trading, thus minimizing Pakistan’s chances of joiningthe Nuclear Suppliers Group. The list of events which point to a wideningrift between the US and Pakistan is growing.
Nonetheless, the government of Pakistan maintains workable ties with the USalthough relations are not as good as before. The past 70 years’ experienceof relations with Washington has engendered distrust among the people ofPakistan. The increased cooperation between the two countries which wasoverwhelming at the start of the new century and Pakistan’s status as aclose ally of the US has faded away over time. It took Islamabad a longtime to realize that Washington cannot be a trusted ally, and that provedto be a turning point in Pakistan’s foreign policy.
There has been a visible change in Pakistan’s foreign policy since 2007when, disappointed by the US, it extended a friendly hand to Russia. Beforethat the country had pursued a stable monotonous foreign policy fordecades, where good relations with the US, China and Saudi Arabia were thepriorities.
Since 2007, there has been remarkable progress in ties between Moscow andIslamabad. At the same time a series of foreign visits started wherePakistani leaders were going all over the world seeking partners. Thediversification of Pakistan’s foreign policy continues and there will bemore partner countries for Islamabad than today.
On March 21, a Pakistan-Russia joint working group meeting on terrorism washeld in Islamabad. Both countries not only expressed concern over thegrowing IS threat in Afghanistan, but also agreed to continue cooperationfor the eradication of terrorism and extremism from the region. The workinggroup meeting signifies an improvement in Russia-Pakistan relations. Bothcountries increased cooperation in energy, counterterrorism, defense andtechnology. As relations between Pakistan and the US cool, Moscow andIslamabad are coming closer to each other.
Pakistan-Russia relations are often viewed through the lens of the ColdWar. However, there is much more to bilateral ties than the Cold War. Therehave been regional strategic developments coupled with a change in foreignpolicies of the two countries. Moscow and Islamabad have enjoyed a stablerelationship for the past few years.
There is visible improvement. Step by step advances are laying thefoundations for sustainable ties. Several intergovernmental agreementsexist between the two, which include cooperation in counterterrorism,trade, energy and military. Russia on occasion has openly supportedPakistan’s counter-terrorism policies and realizes the sacrifices thepeople of Pakistan have given in their war against terrorism. At the sametime Beijing-Islamabad ties continue to prosper.
Trump may be tough on Pakistan and will issue harsh statements, but thefact remains that it is not easy even for the US to just alienate astrategically located Asian country. The US keeps an eye on how Pakistan isfostering ties with big powers such as Russia and China and would not wantPakistan to slip out of its area of influence. Keeping in view US-Russiaties, where both countries are expelling each other’s diplomats and tiesare becoming increasingly stressed day by day, it would not be wise forWashington to push Pakistan away.
On the other hand, Pakistan does not intend to completely disengage fromthe US. Russia or Pakistan’s all-weather friend China cannot be asubstitute for the US. For the promotion of its national interests abalanced policy is adopted where Islamabad is working with Russia, Chinaand the US. “We are willing to work with all officials with an open mindand open heart,” said Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Aizaz AhmadChaudhary.
The recent stand by the US against Pakistan is on the issue of terrorism.Washington needs to carry out an analysis based on the ground realities ofthe country.
Islamabad has been engaged in a war against terrorism for more than adecade and has paid a huge price. The war has damaged its economy. A moresensible solution calls for the US to provide more resources to empower thecountry to fight terrorism. Punitive measures will result in furtherweakening of the state and Pakistan will not be able to fight terrorists aseffectively.
In this critical time, Islamabad needs the international community’ssupport rather than being left alone. A stable Pakistan can play a muchgreater role in peace in Afghanistan and the region. – Global Times
By: Aftab Hussan. *The author is a research scholar of internationalrelations based in Shanghai. **aftabhussein@hotmail.com*