Pakistan is hoping for Biden to reset relations. Will he stop the US policy drift towards India?
- Pakistan is looking for a positive change under Biden and hopes he will, unlike Trump, address its concerns on regional instability and India’s revisionist policies
- The Pakistan-US relationship, long dominated by strategic concerns, can be more productive if they work on larger goals such as climate change, health care, education and infrastructure development
Pakistan and the United States have a multifaceted relationship in areas including counterterrorism, energy, trade and investment. Pakistan, the US and its allies have been fighting the war against terrorism in Afghanistan. The US is one of the largest sources of foreign direct investment in Pakistan and a top destination for Pakistani goods.
The US relationship with India has been a defining factor in Pakistan-US relations. Islamabad has been sensitive to growing India-US ties since the 1990s. The US moved closer to India than ever under Trump and Pakistan believes that America’s South Asia policies favour India.
Trump’s approach to the region largely decoupled India and Pakistan, which generated less concern from Pakistan about the US-India relationship. Pakistan expects the Biden administration to be more concerned about upholding human rights and United Nations resolutions in Indian-occupied Kashmir.
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Biden’s presence in the White House can help Pakistan forge new partnerships with the US based on mutual geopolitical and economic interests. Pakistan wants peace in Afghanistan because that is connected to stability in Pakistan.
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The US withdrawal from Afghanistan permits it to redefine its interests in the region. It also presents Pakistan with opportunities to strengthen its strategic and economic ties with the US through effective implementation of the Afghan peace process.
Pakistan has had great success in developing mutually beneficial relationships with predominantly Muslim nations, especially the Arab countries of the Middle East. It has maintained a balanced policy in the region.
Pakistan’s next important area of converging interest with Biden’s administration will be the new Middle East, being shaped by the Abraham Accords.
In practical terms, the Biden administration will need to reconsider US policy towards Pakistan. Both countries need to find areas of meaningful cooperation, and ways to move beyond a transactional mode to more strategic relations.
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Pakistan has substantial leverage to cooperate with Biden’s team. Relations that have for a long time been dominated by strategic concerns can be more productive if they are redefined carefully. By finding common ground, they can work to achieve larger goals such as on climate change, health care, education and infrastructure development.
Pakistan needs to galvanise its intellectual community and diaspora in the US to maintain a balanced policy. The US is Pakistan’s top export destination, but these trade gains have yet to be realised. Pakistan’s strategic location will help prompt security, trade and commerce in the coming years.
Gulshan Rafiq is a research associate at the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI). She holds an MSc and MPhil degree in defence and strategic studies from Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad