Rebuilding goodwill with the US

On at least one front, Pakistan’s diplomatic ties with an important international ally are beginning to improve. In recent months, Pakistan has been embroiled in a tussle with India due to the increased use of violent force in Kashmir. India has retaliated by repeatedly raising the issue of separatist elements in Balochistan. The US, with which Pakistan had seen a cooling in diplomatic relations, has now clearly stated that it is does not support the separation of Balochistan, nor does it agree with the Indian government’s stance on this matter. This clarification was given by the US State Department representative in response to a question by an Indian journalist. It is now unlikely that India’s intention to raise this issue in the UN’s General Assembly will be met with the reaction it had hoped for. The ploy to conflate military violence against Kashmiri civilians with the Balochistan issue does not seem to be working.

The US has made further efforts to regain Pakistan’s trust in recent days as was evident from the statements of US Special Representative Richard Olson, who lauded Pakistan’s commitment to curbing terrorist activity in the region through both military operations and sharing of intelligence information with neighbouring countries. He went on to appreciate Pakistan’s role in providing asylum for Afghan refugees for the past several decades and urged the country to continue its efforts in this regard. While talking about the need for the Pakistani administration to take a unanimous stand against externally focused terrorist groups, Olson pointed out the Pakistani government’s commitment to rooting out terrorist safe havens. These statements by the US administration reflect a change in perception that has taken place in recent months which is far removed from the harsher views being aired previously. Clearly, the US acknowledges and understands the important role played by Pakistan in the South Asian region and the need for maintaining a relationship based on trust and goodwill with one of its key allies. It is hoped that the present US stance on key issues will also contribute to the normalisation of relations between Pakistan and its neighbouring countries.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17^th, 2016.

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