As relations between Pakistan and the US have dipped to new lows following the Trump administration’s determination to scapegoat Pakistan for American failures in Afghanistan, just about the only positive to emerge is that Trump’s distaste for foreign policy engagement could lead to less interference in matters that don’t concern the US. The first sign that this might happen is the latest defence bill hashed out by both houses of Congress, which has amended past provisions related to Pakistan and the repayments due to us for fighting militancy under the Coalition Support Fund. Previously, up to half of CSF payments could be withheld unless the US defence secretary certified that Pakistan was taking action against the Haqqani Network and Lashkar-e-Taiba. The new bill only mentions the Haqqani Network. The LeT had originally been included at the behest of India, which holds the group responsible for the Mumbai attacks of 2008. That it has now been removed shows that the US is more likely to take punitive action against Pakistan only if it believes we are hurting its own interests – and not just those of its allies. With chatter that the Trump administration may begin pushing Pakistan and India to hold talks on Kashmir, this move could help establish it as a more honest broker in any negotiations. Still, we should not be too quick in heralding this move as ushering in a new era of Pakistan-US relations. The retention of the Haqqani Network provision is significant because this administration has been vocal in expressing its anger at what it sees as Pakistan’s support for the militant outfit. Centcom Commander General Joseph Votel met with Army Chief Qamar Bajwa in Islamabad and once again said Pakistan must do more to prevent militants from operating within and across its borders. We in turn pointed out the attacks originating from Afghanistan that take place on our territory. There is every chance that the American defence secretary will withhold CSF payments, at least as long as US troops are still stationed in Afghanistan. Pakistan will also continue to face global pressure to take action against the LeT. At the Brics conference in September, the final declaration included the LeT and other groups such as the Jaish-e-Mohammed as terror groups whose actions needed to be condemned. More significantly, it also called for greater efficiency in the global designation of terrorists. China, which was one of the signatories to the Brics declaration, has been blocking moves at the UN to have JeM head Masood Azhar declared a terrorist. This may have been a sign that it intends to change tack. For Pakistan, whether it is the US or the international community calling for the disruption of the LeT should be besides the point. Such groups have taken the most lives within Pakistan itself and rooting them out is in our own interests, whether we get paid money due to us by the US or not.
