Trump era spells limited engagement for Pak-US ties: diplomats

ISLAMABAD: The country’s top former diplomats and foreign ministers predicted here on Wednesday that the United States engagement with Pakistan would remain limited under the Trump administration. At the same time, they criticized the US for shaping its relationship with Pakistan based on the country’s ties with China and India, rather than recognizing Pakistan’s independent strategic value. The views were expressed during a roundtable discussion organized by the Center for International Strategic Studies (CISS), which explored the future of Pakistan-US relations comprehensively. The event, titled “Trump 2.0: Implications for Pakistan”, featured a panel of former diplomats, including former foreign minister ambassador Syed Jalil Abbas Jilani, ambassador Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, ambassador Masood Khalid and Dr. Qamar Cheema, Executive Director of Sanober Institute.

The discussion centred on the shifting dynamics between the US, Pakistan, China, and India. The participants highlighted that growing strategic convergences between the US and India, and the simultaneous intensification of rivalry between China and the US were limiting Pakistan’s foreign policy options, yet maintaining each other’s goodwill is a prerequisite for meaningful engagement in the future. They highlighted that the lack of shared strategic convergences between Islamabad and Washington hinders the transformation of this relationship into an enduring and substantial partnership. They emphasised the importance of Pakistan’s strategic location, which makes it a key player in regional and global geopolitics. However, they noted that US engagement with Pakistan is likely to remain limited under Trump’s new administration.

They regretted that the US often shaped its approach toward Pakistan based on the dynamics of Pakistan’s relations with China and India, rather than recognising Pakistan’s independent strategic value. They stressed that the US needs to understand that Pakistan maintains distinct and independent relationships with both China and the US, without any direct balance or overlap between the two, and each relationship is fashioned by its own unique dynamics and strategic priorities. Pakistan continues to face discriminatory US sanctions despite maintaining exceptional nuclear security and safety standards, they maintained.

The panel concluded that India is strategically leveraging the imagined threat of China to its advantage and is securing access to the most advanced military equipment provided by the West. They blamed Washington’s policy of bolstering India as a bulwark against China, particularly in the Asia Pacific, by providing it with a space in the Quad and presenting New Delhi as a net security provider. They said India is also a signatory to foundational agreements with the US such as COMCASA, LEMOA, and BECA, further strengthening its strategic partnership with the US, they recalled. The Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) between the US and India marks the completion of the troika of “foundational pacts” for military cooperation between the two countries. The LEMOA is an important agreement that solidifies and strengthens the military ties between the US and India. Both countries signed the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement facilitating interoperability between militaries and the sale of high-end technology.