The Pak-U.S. relations have been through many ups and downs throughout the history of Pakistan. For most of the time during the cold war, relations remained either warm or normal except for some short periods. The ties went down the slope after the cold war and towards the onset of the twenty-first century. In addition to some drastic shifts in the regional and global political scenario, the incident of 9/11 proved a watershed for Pak-U.S. ties as well. Pakistan's decision to stand with America and her allies provided an opportunity for both the states to improve bilateral ties. Key challenges include, but not limited to, issues of trust and coordination, the problems of strategic harmony and divergence of interests and varied policies about arms and nuclear proliferation. Pak-U.S. relations have also been affected by their respective relations with other states. From Pakistan's perspective, it is essential not only to identify points of convergence and divergence with the U...

Barack Obama was entitled to sit in the presidential chair for another 4 years by winning the U.S. presidential election, which took place on November 6, 2012. Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari were among the leaders who offered their congratulations to Obama right after the election. They also sent a very clear message to him by stating that they hope to continue to have good relations, and strengthen and expand ties between the countries. What they really wanted to say was both leaders were not very pleased with the first term of Obama, which is very well known to the people around Karzai and Zardari. The Taliban also sent a message to President Obama. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid called on Obama to announce that the United States accepts that they lost the war in Afghanistan and withdraw all troops immediately. In fact, both complaints and demands lie behind the messages from both leaders and the Taliban.

Pakistan-USA relations have witnessed many ups and downs throughout the history of their interaction. The elite press on both sides played an important role in shaping and re-shaping attitudes,policies, and public opinion over various bilateral and regional issues. Post 9/11 situation expanded the part of the press on both sides due to war on terror cooperation and subsequent developments. Regime changes in America or Pakistan are often perceived as a harbinger of new policy shifts with anticipations of a new era of bilateral relations. The last year of the PPP government in Pakistan witnessed re-election of Barack Obama for the second term, but Pakistan's upcoming elections were more speculative interms of office holder and the party. The scholar are divided about the role of the elite press in policy making and influencing the policy-making process through their content and issue projection.But the press on both sides published their approaches through editorials over a number...

Despite its feeble economy and political instability, the Pakistan's geostrategic position allows it to enjoy broader significance for the American interests in the region. Since the independence of Pakistan, the two sides remained engaged with each other, but various ebbs and cons have stained these relations. After the 9/11 incident, Pakistan became the front line state in the US Global War on Terror (WOT). Islamabad played a significant part in eliminating the scourge of terrorism globally. However, despite its active role in the WOT, Pakistan's contribution has not been appropriately appreciated, particularly in economic and military assistance. The US policy of South Asia hardly reflects Pakistan's perspective, which certainly echoes the mistrust in both countries. Hence, to ensure her security, mainly vis-à-vis its arch-rival India, Pakistan has to look for other options in its foreign policy choices like China and Russia. For maintaining the dynamics of power balancing in the region, Islamabad seems to revisit its ties with the US, particularly amid the changing environment of 21 st-century international politics. The future of Pak-US relations has to be viewed in accordance with Pakistan's geostrategic significance in the region and the dominant American position in the global system.

This paper critically analyses the US and Pakistan relations in historical context and thereby comprehends the causes of misunderstandings between them, especially under the new administration of Donal Trump. Like other states in our world both Pakistan and USA have priorities to secure their national interests as both have their own way of protecting their interest in short, medium or long terms. The paper finds that unlike the US which makes a policy that focuses only on the current scenarios, Pakistan keeps in view the lessons from past betrayals from US and her future needs arising from her security issues related to her neighbours i.e. Afghanistan and India. Pakistan also fears Indian involvement in Afghanistan and the US support to India in Afghanistan in general and particularly in the region. Pakistan needs to understand US mistrust for rapid proliferation (even legal) to earn easy money to strengthen its weak economy. From the US perspectives, it strategy regarding Pakistan is no different from that of a major powers as she only focuses short terms objectives. USA needs to realize that the strategic location of Pakistan and the nuclear capability makes her an important country that bestows on her the right to be treated like medium power in the region. It not only about dealing with mutual misunderstandings related to realization of mutual concerns but it is also about peace, security and future of every sixth human being on earth who lives in the region or maybe its impacts can go far beyond to the whole world. Therefore, both Pakistan and the US need to address each other's concern and work on converging lines.

The US-Pakistan relations were historically grounded in the Cold War oriented realist understanding of international politics. The choice matrix was strategically constrained for the third world which either preferred the USSR-led communist system of politics and economy or allied with the US-guided capitalist bloc. In such a strategic context, the post-colonial state of Pakistan chose to ally with Washington on account of multiple factors, ranging from the proto-elite with ‘western’ professional and educational background to the ideological abhorrence of communism – which, according to the expanding religious elite, was anti-Islam.