The US Pakistan relations have been a roller coaster ride and have evolved significantly since the independence of Pakistan in August 1947.
The pendulum of relations between the two countries has swung from a time of close and friendly relations to periods of tensions and strains. Back in the 1950s the US wanted Pakistan’s cooperation and alliance in their ongoing cold war conflict with the communist world led by the USSR and Pakistan obliged them by entering into two defense pacts namely SEATO and CENTO and the US was also given a base near Peshawar from where they flew spy missions over the USSR with their U-2 aircraft.
America imposed sanctions on Pakistan after the 1965 war with India and all military and economic aid to Pakistan was suspended and this was repeated in 1971 and 1975 and these actions created a bad taste in the mouth when policy makers in Pakistan designated the USA as an unreliable ally. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 ushered in a new phase of close partnership between the two countries when Pakistan became the frontline ally in fighting the Afghan war against the USSR. After the Cold War ended in 1989 and the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan, relations cooled, with the US again imposing sanctions after Pakistan’s nuclear tests in 1998.
The 9/11 attacks and the subsequent US-led war in Afghanistan brought Pakistan back into the spotlight as a crucial ally, though the relationship remained complex. More recently, the US has emphasized a broader partnership with Pakistan, focusing on economic development, climate change, and democratic values, alongside security cooperation.
The year 2025 has brought some surprising and historical twists in the US-Pak relations. The maverick US President Donald Trump hosted the Pak army Chief FM Asif Muneer at a luncheon in the White House and this was for the first time in history that the US President has played host to an army chief from Pakistan. Another important development recent American visit by Pakistan Foreign Minister and his meeting with the US Secretary of State. These two high level meetings point towards a the revival of close relations and increased economic help for Pakistan and the start of a more fraternal phase in relations after the rather dormant relationship of the past few years get exact details of this new relationship has not been spelt out by both the countries hopefully it will be a close and beneficial strategic relationship with many economic and military advantages for Pakistan.
It is not yet known that this thaw in the frozen relations with the USA is a personal initiative of Donald Trump or it is some institutional policy review by the policy managers in Washington DC in both cases we will be treading on thin ice because Trump is now well known for his mercurial behavior in matters of foreign policy and the American policy managers are known for changing their priorities without notice or any advance warning. Pakistan on its part had done a good turn to Donald Trump by nominating him for the award of the Nobel Peace Prize. This gesture must have boosted the oversized ego of Donald Trump but this may not result in some long term gain for Pakistan because the bilateral relationship between the two countries have seen many up and down a sea saw during the last seventy five years.
Strictly speaking the United States has two vital strategic interests in Pakistan: preventing Pakistan’s destabilisation (given that it is a nuclear power) and to prevent large–scale nuclear conflict with India (which would destabilise the broader region.) While curtailing climate change is a vital American strategic interest, Pakistan is more of a frontline state in experiencing its worst effects than a primary contributor to it.
However, the United States has other interests in Pakistan that are not vital but still significant, either independently or in support of vital interests. These include countering transnational terrorism, fostering regional trade that benefits both countries, climate resilience to bolster Pakistan’s stability, and retaining U.S. influence in Pakistan despite the major Chinese presence. A more stable and prosperous Pakistan will have a positive impact on the region and will raise the opportunity costs of conventional war with India while reducing potential triggers. With the end of the long war in Afghanistan relations between Pakistan and America entered a new and different phase. The American planners now classified Pakistan as something between a friend and a foe and again post 9/11 and the American threat of “With us or against us” the two countries once again reevaluated their relations and policies regarding mutual cooperation economically and militarily.
Pakistan’s close relations with China and the start of the CPEC projects and the strategic alliance of US and India created a new scenario in the PAK-US relations and during the regime of Joe Biden relations between the two hit a new low.
Pakistan’s dependence on China and the tensions between Washington and Beijing also became a thorn in the side of the US policy makers because they viewed these developments as harmful to their interests, On Pakistan’s side the American tilt towards India and a new strategic alliance between the two resulted in increased tensions and a deep freeze between Pak-US relations. After a long freeze, a thaw was witnessed soon after Trump returned to the White House for the second time. In his first address to a joint session of Congress in March this year, the American president praised Pakistan for capturing the mastermind of the deadly attack at Kabul airport in August 2021, which had killed over a dozen American soldiers
It cannot be denied that the USA is one of our closest and vital economic and trading partner and offers financial assistance to thousands of Pakistani students for a world class education in the USA. In spite of the need for a close and fraternal relationship with the US we must not allow Pakistan to become a tool for advancing American interests in the world. In view of the Pak-China relations and the situation in Afghanistan Pakistan should never again be sucked into American conflicts.
—The writer is Professor of History, based in Islamabad.
