REPORTS emanating from Washington speak of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar presenting Pakistan’s case effectively and convincingly before the US Administration as well as intelligentsia sparking hopes that diplomatic moves will help realize the objective of moving from transactional to strategic bilateral ties based on mutuality of interests.
Dar put the issue of terrorism in its right perspective underlining that Pakistan was a victim of Indian-sponsored terrorism. His US visit brought to focus a broad range of issues including bilateral ties, prospects for enhanced cooperation in trade, economy, investment, counterterrorism and regional peace. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and agreed to work together for shared goals.
There is a visible improvement in bilateral relations between Pakistan and the United States, which remained lukewarm for a considerable period. The process is warm enough to make India feel the heat and media reports speak of unrest in policy and decision-making circles in New Delhi. In fact, President Donald Trump played a crucial role in bringing the short war between Pakistan and India to a halt and he has repeatedly expressed his resolve to play a role in dispute resolution for the sake of regional peace and security. Time and again, he has spoken highly of the professionalism of Pakistan defence forces in the backdrop of war on terror and conflict with India. The thaw in relations became more visible last month when US President Donald Trump gave a warm welcome to Field Marshal Asim Munir at the White House, an extraordinary development that unnerved Indians for obvious reasons. The productive meeting that Ishaq Dar held with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also confirms the willingness of the two sides to strengthen relations in diverse fields. The two leaders expressed willingness to bolster cooperation in trade, investment, technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and counter-terrorism. The Foreign Minister expressed the hope that a trade deal between the two countries will be announced ‘within days’ and it is to be seen what it contains for Pakistan. Claims were made earlier as well that the two countries have finalized the deal and that it would be made public along with deals with other countries but the delay is indicative of challenges in the talks. There are indications that Pakistan will grant greater market access to US goods besides concessions for mining ventures but it is not clear whether the deal will help promote Pakistani exports as well. As for defence cooperation, the US served as a dominant supplier of military hardware to Pakistan for a long time but unfortunately the equipment came with conditions that it cannot be used against India, rendering the entire American supplied arsenal as a show piece. As against this, the Chinese-provided equipment and technologies helped defend Pakistan’s territorial integrity in the recent conflict. It was, perhaps, in this backdrop that Ishaq Dar told a questioner in the US that Pakistan’s defence deals with China would not affect its relations with the US, as such decisions depend on which country offers the better deal. It is also noteworthy that the US side once again praised Pakistan for its constructive role in the war against terror, acknowledging its sacrifices for the cause of regional and global security. However, mere appreciation is not enough as Pakistan has become the worst victim of foreign-sponsored terrorism, especially in Balochistan and KP. As resurgence of terrorism has implications for countries of the region and beyond, the United States and other members of the international community ought to extend meaningful cooperation to Pakistan to root out the menace in a comprehensive manner. People of Pakistan also expect that the US President will move beyond statements and facilitate structured dialogue between Pakistan and India leading to settlement of the core dispute of India in a just manner and as per aspirations of Kashmiris.
