US Pakistan - A new phase of Relation

What is the issue?

The new U.S. administration in power is more likely to turn to Pakistan to combat Islamic terrorism everywhere and not India.

Why Pakistan is so important to the US?

• The US mission in Afghanistan to disrupt and defeat terrorist networks remains urgent and it is not over yet.
• This mission in Afghanistan will be more difficult without Pakistan’s co-operation in taking on terrorists that operate across the Afghan-Pakistani border at will.
• The US continues to be dependent on Pakistan for supplies to reach its bases in Afghanistan.

What is the new US administration’s view?

• There are renewed calls within the US to restore a workable relationship with Pakistan.
• Conservative US think tank, in its recent report, stated that the new US administration should both publicly and privately maintain avenues for Pakistan to become a US ally, as well as trade and investment partner, in the future.
• That is why neither Uri nor Pathankot figure in the list of Islamic terror attacks worldwide cited by the USA administration in defence of its moves to ban the entry of Muslims.

What is India’s view?

• Pakistan’s Army chief heads the 34-country, Islamic Military Alliance (IMA) to fight those Islamic terrorists.
• The only large Muslim State not in the Islamic Military Alliance, is Iran.
• It is this sort of an alliance, that the US is most likely to encourage to take on the likes of ISIS.
• Pakistan has the expertise to do so, and is willing to deploy it strategically to push its interests.
• India is ill-placed politically and geographically challenged to engage on the ground or replace western ones in parts of the world where Islamic terrorism is most rampant.
• Pakistan will continue to use this as a leverage to get military and civilian aid and remain a formidable threat to India.
• The depth of Pakistan’s relationship with the US is inadequately appreciated by Indians.
• A new phase in the US-Pakistan relation is subtly emerging.
• The sooner we recognise that, the better prepared we will be to counter it.

Source: Business Line