Pakistan initiates review of ties with US

ISLAMABAD: The government and all relevant stakeholders have initiated a large scale review of various contours of ties with the United States in the wake of the upcoming change of hands in Washington later this month when Joe Biden will assume power.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Dr Asad Majeed Khan has been called for high echelon consultations. He has arrived and started meetings with the people concerned. Diplomatic sources told The News on Friday that Islamabad wouldn’t demonstrate undue haste in choreographing its approach in dealing with the new US administration since President Joe Biden and his would-be team have a good clue of thinking on Pakistan and related South Asian affairs.

With the arrival of the new Democrat president in White House, Islamabad hopes that Washington would like to follow a pragmatic approach towards Pakistan-India ties.

Interestingly it was the Democrat administration that de-hyphenated its relationship with Pakistan from India but later declared Pakistan as its non-NATO ally; a position that it rarely attaches with the countries that stood by the United States and opted to develop distance from it subsequently.

Afghanistan would continue to be the area of topmost interest to the United States vis-a-vis its relations with Pakistan. The peace process in Afghanistan that was initiated by the outgoing US administration through hectic efforts is still far from a complete success.

The drawdown of US forces from the war-torn country couldn’t be completed. The Trump administration wanted to have another feather in its cap of total withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, but it failed.

The Taliban leadership that entered the peace process skillfully slowed down the process and didn’t allow Americans to make gains at their behest. It is likely that the Joe Biden administration would continue to follow Afghan peace process but in a more prudent manner, the sources said.

Dr Asad Majeed is briefing the authorities concerned in the twin cities about the possible disposition of new administration towards Afghan imbroglio. Pakistan’s nuclear programme has throughout been US policy makers’ subject of “consideration”, but Democrats traditionally attach less significance to the so-called issue, the sources reminded.

The sources pointed out that the Democrats have been supportive of human rights and strict adherence to democratic norms and traditions in countries under its influence. Pakistan’s envoy for the United States would brief his interlocutors here about the policies of the upcoming administration in Washington in the light of the election programme which was highlighted by the Democrats during their electioneering. Interestingly, the outgoing US President Donald Trump had developed personal rapport with Prime Minister Imran Khan, and both used to refer each other in talks.

The same had been Trump’s claim about the incumbent Indian government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. President-elect Joe Biden on the contrary has personal acquaintance with most of the former prime ministers of Pakistan including Nawaz Sharif, Yousaf Raza Gillani, Ch Shujaat Hussain and Asif Ali Zardari. Prime Minister Imran Khan would like to carve in an opportunity at the earliest to have a meeting with Joe Biden.

Meanwhile, defence experts are attaching significance to the visit of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa to Bahrain where he is having significant meetings. Interestingly, the US Centcom headquarters is situated in the close vicinity of Bahrain and a US defence delegations is visiting Pakistan these days. The delegation is busy with important meetings at the GHQ in Rawalpindi, the sources pointed out.