Pakistan back in the game

When the US pulled the last batch of its troops from Afghanistan in August 2021, it was the end of what many believe was a costly and unwinnable war. For 20 years, the US and its allies spent trillions of dollars only to see the return of the Afghan Taliban, who were thrown out after the 9/11 attacks. The US involvement in Afghanistan brought Pakistan again in the spotlight as Washington needed Islamabad's help for its campaign in the neighbouring country.

Despite the trust deficit, the successive US administrations had to work with Pakistan given its strategic location. But once the US was out of Afghanistan, relations with Pakistan started dwindling. It was almost the repeat of first Afghan Jihad when after the Soviet defeat in Afghanistan, the US left Pakistan in lurch. Washington imposed crippling economic sanctions on Pakistan, reinforcing fears that the US can never be a trustworthy partner.

The situation again looked bleak when the US withdrew troops from Afghanistan. President Joe Biden, once a strong advocate of close ties with Pakistan, never spoke to any of the Pakistani PMs during his four-year term. There were hardly any high-level exchanges between the two sides. And when Donald Trump won the elections in November last year, there were many in Pakistan who were concerned that ties with the US would only get worse given Trump's America first policy. Second, unlike the past, Pakistan had little to offer to the US or the US had little interest in the region.

There was near consensus among the experts that Trump 2.0 would further bolster its strategic partnership with India. Pakistan was nowhere to be seen a foreign policy priority of the Trump administration except in the realm of security and counterterrorism.

But six months into Trump's presidency, all those predictions fell flat. Contrary to the forecast, Trump's presidency proved positive for Pakistan at least for now. It all began when Pakistan arrested and extradited to the US one of the masterminds of the Abbey Gate bombing in Kabul in August 2021. Thirteen American servicemen were among those killed in the deadly attack outside the Kabul Airport. Trump had, during his election campaign, promised to bring to justice those behind the bombing.

Many here may not be aware of the fact that any fatality of an American serviceman has huge domestic implications. In the past, elections were won and lost on the body bags of American soldiers. Pakistan helped Trump fulfil his election promise. It was because of this reason that Trump had praised Pakistan in his maiden address to the US Congress.

That initial Pakistan help led to revival of contacts at the level of intelligence agencies as well as at the political level. What brought the two countries even closer was the Indo-Pak conflict in May, following the Pahalgam attack. While Pakistan acknowledged the Trump Administration's positive role in brokering the ceasefire, India kept challenging the US claims. Pakistan, in order to make further inroads, nominated President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his courageous leadership and peace efforts in the subcontinent.

The unprecedented luncheon hosted by President Trump for Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir in the middle of the Iran-Israel war highlighted that Pakistan still remains a key player to be reckoned with. This upset India since it was trying to portray the Pakistan Army Chief as evil. But Trump seems to care a dam.

This past weekend, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar at the State Department in a first structured meeting between the two sides in several years. The US Secretary of State praised Pakistan's efforts to counter terror and maintain regional stability, much to the dismay of New Delhi. While Dar was in Washington, the Army Chief was in Beijing holding meetings with senior Chinese civil and military authorities. This goes to show the delicate balance Pakistan is trying to maintain with big powers. Given Pakistan's vulnerabilities and so many other challenges, Islamabad seems to be playing its cards well.