Can Pak-US ties be reconfigured amid hardened positions?

[GlobalVillageSpace]

Can Pak-US ties be reconfigured amid hardened positions?
Global Village Space |

News Analysis |

According to US officials, President Donald Trump’s administration appears ready to harden its approach toward Pakistan to crack down on Pakistan-based militants launching attacks in neighboring Afghanistan, US officials told Reuters.

The Administration has a few options on the table. They include expanding US drone strikes, redirecting or withholding some aid to Pakistan and eventually downgrading Pakistan’s status as a major non-NATO ally, the officials said.

Most voices in Washington have called for severing ties with Islamabad and have called upon the US to declare it a sponsor of terrorism. Some have gone on to suggest launching strikes inside Pakistan.

However, some officials caution against the application of exceeding pressure on Pakistan and call for measures to elicit cooperation.

Read more: Is Pakistan still indispensable for the US in the region?

US officials have called Pakistan an important ally and one that can bring Taliban to the talking table. Pakistan is an ally on counter-terrorism issues and will be essential for bringing the Afghan Taliban to the table for peace talks, says acting Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Tina Kaidanow.

Adding to it was US State Department’s spokesperson, Heather Nauert. He said “the United States and Pakistan have a close partnership on regional peace, security, prosperity, and stability. And we continue to work with the government of Pakistan on areas — many areas of mutual interest, including counterterrorism.”

The conduct of ties is not commensurate with the ally status that some voices in Washington are giving to Pakistan.

Mending Fences

The acknowledgment of Pakistan’s role in peace efforts in Afghanistan is a step in the positive direction on part of the US. At the outset, it is important to understand that given the tenuous situation in Afghanistan, healthy Pak-US ties are essential. However, the US is trying to twist Islamabad’s arm, something which will further vitiate ties between the two countries.

Senior Associate at the Wilson Center and a prominent scholar on South Asia, Michael Kugelman was optimistic about the prospects of cooperation between the two countries. In his exclusive interview with the Global Village Space (GVS) he said that contrary to popular beliefs, Pakistan may get more carrots than expected.

Read more: Trump outsources the Afghan policy to his generals

“I think there is something to be said for the fact that the retired generals in the Trump administration, and especially McMaster and Mattis, have good relations with Pakistan from their deployment in the region. With Af-Pak seemingly being led by the Pentagon, there could be an opening for a policy with more carrots and less sticks than we may have expected,” he said.

On the question of military options that the US could use against Pakistan he replied “if the US does resort to military action in Pakistan, it would be restricted to drones. I can’t imagine anything beyond that.

He said that it is difficult to think of starting points to bridging mistrust in a tense relationship such as this but ties can improve if both assuage each other’s fears.

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Can Pak-US ties be reconfigured amid hardened positions?

 

[ito]

Unless there is peace in Afghanistan...I don't see US - Pak relations improving. US blames Pakistan for the problems in Afghanistan. More the terror attacks in Afghanistan less are the chances of Pak - US ties reconfigured.

 

[maximuswarrior]

There are no ties to begin with. US relationships are transactional in nature. The US has from the very beginning adopted a very skewed policy. This has backfired miserably. Transactional relationships expire and don't last. These accusations are purely sour grapes.

Pakistan cannot offer anything meaningful vis a vis Afghanistan. The Afghan conflict is an entirely Afghan matter. As long as Afghanistan and other actors in that country don't take responsibility for eradicating corruption and terror problems will persist. Afghanistan has a history of instability long before the Taliban even existed. Pakistan cannot influence any of the aforementioned factors in Afghanistan.

 

[Tom M]

I don't see the US-PAK relation severed all together in the short term, but there are a great chance of it becoming worse with the Trump policies and the resurgent terror activities in Afghanistan. Moreover China's role will be crucial as well, the Chinese influence grows on Pakistan's foreign policies, the more I see Washington getting away from Islamabad.

But still U.S will keep on addressing Pakistan as the biggest non-NATO allie and GOI and Pakistani establishment will time and again keep on acknowledging the same. LOL

 

[wiseone2]

There are no ties to begin with. US relationships are transactional in nature. The US has from the very beginning adopted a very skewed policy. This has backfired miserably. Transactional relationships expire and don't last. These accusations are purely sour grapes.

Pakistan cannot offer anything meaningful vis a vis Afghanistan. The Afghan conflict is an entirely Afghan matter. As long as Afghanistan and other actors in that country don't take responsibility for eradicating corruption and terror problems will persist. Afghanistan has a history of instability long before the Taliban even existed. Pakistan cannot influence any of the aforementioned factors in Afghanistan.

Pakistan would be foolish to alienate USA. Throughout most of the cold war Indian elite maintained a working relationship with USA.

Pakistan's support of the Taliban is the issue. Quit tap dancing around the elephant

 

[maximuswarrior]

Pakistan would be foolish to alienate USA. Throughout most of the cold war Indian elite maintained a working relationship with USA.

Pakistan's support of the Taliban is the issue. Quit tap dancing around the elephant

We know how to maintain the relationship with the US. Keep them at a safe distance and keep working closely with China. We don't need your lectures on how we ought to manage our relations.

No, the real issue is Indian sponsorship of terrorism across the border in Afghanistan. As long as the US keeps turning a blind eye to Indian terror acivities aimed against Pakistan, problems will persists for all sides. Deal with it. This conflict is a two-way street. You can't have it your own way. When you accuse one side of terrorism, two fingers will be pointing to you.

 

[wiseone2]

We know how to maintain the relationship with the US. Keep them at a safe distance and keep working closely with China. We don't need your lectures on how we ought to manage our relations.

No, the real issue is Indian sponsorship of terrorism across the border in Afghanistan. As long as the US keeps turning a blind eye to Indian terror acivities aimed against Pakistan, problems will persists for all sides. Deal with it. This conflict is a two-way street. You can't have it your own way. When you accuse one side of terrorism, two fingers will be pointing to you.

Big words from a country that props up a stupid ideology like the Taliban and allowed the Taliban to sponsor terrorists all over the word