Pakistan prioritises US ties for peace, prosperity

In response to Biden’s letter, PM welcomes bilateral cooperation

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Sunday that Pakistan attached “high importance to its relations with the United States” and wanted to work with Washington to achieve the common goal of global peace and security and the development of the region.

The prime minister sent his reply to a letter written by the US President Joe Biden last week – the first communication between the White House and any Pakistani leader since the current US administration came to power nearly four years ago.

“Pakistan attaches high importance to its relations with the United States,” Shehbaz wrote in response to Biden’s letter. “Pakistan wants to work with the United States to achieve the common goal of global peace and security and development and prosperity of the region,” he added.

President Biden probably knows more about Pakistan than any other US politician since he remained engaged with Islamabad first as chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee and then as the vice president in former president Barack Obama’s administration.

Perhaps that played a part in his approach towards Pakistan when he opted not to directly engage with former prime minister Imran Khan, when he was elected in 2020. He never telephoned Imran or Shehbaz, who succeeded the PTI founder in April 2022.

Against this backdrop, the letter he wrote to Shehbaz came as a surprise for many.

Read Biden reaches out to Pakistani premier

Observers believe that Army Chief Gen Asim Munir’s visit to the US, the role of the Pentagon and US Ambassador to Islamabad Donald Blome seemed to have all contributed to the White House’s re-engagement with Pakistan at the highest level.

The reason for the renewed US interest may be stemming from the situation unfolding in Afghanistan.

Pakistan, the US and several reports suggested that terrorist groups are gaining ground in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021.

The US may need Pakistan’s support in the future to tackle any terror threat. That is why Washington wants to remain engaged with Pakistan. For Islamabad, Washington’s support for the revival of economy is crucial given the leverage the US has over the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Shehbaz welcomed the cooperation between the two countries in the energy sector and the Green Alliance initiative. “The two countries are working together on important initiatives in the fields of energy, climate change, agriculture, health and education,” the prime minister noted.

Biden had said in his letter that enduring partnership between the US and Pakistan was critical for the security of both the people and the world. He also spoke about continued cooperation with Pakistan on health, education, economy and climate related issues.

Pakistan has sought to build relations with the US beyond the traditional areas of interests such as security and Afghanistan. Islamabad is keen to develop its relationship with Washington based on the trade, investment and commercial ties.

Observers, however, are sceptical if such cooperation can be realised given the US priorities and larger geostrategic issues. They believe that the security, Afghanistan and counterterrorism will continue to provide the basis for any cooperation between Pakistan and the US.