US-Pakistan relations

Both the United States and Pakistan look forward to gaining political mileage during the surprise visit of US Secretary of State John Kerry to Islamabad. Understandably, neither country would let go the opportunity to plug some holes in the long-standing friendship between the two countries, which in longer terms would mean peace and stability not only in Pakistan but in the region itself. The relations soured in recent years over the issue of Taliban using hideouts inside Pakistan to attack US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, the retaliatory drone attacks on Taliban by the US inside the Pakistani territory, and killing of Osama Bin Laden in a residential quarter inside Pakistan by the US troops without seeking permission of the host country government. The history of friendly relations between the US and Pakistan goes back to the days soon after the creation of the latter as a sovereign country in 1947. The new country, suitably located in South Asia, readily became a strategic partner of the US and remained a trusted ally through thick and thin until the rise of the Taliban. When extremist factions in Pakistan started to support the Taliban in their hate campaign against the US, pressure started to mount on the successive Pakistani governments to gag them to silence. It is good news that the United States and Pakistan agreed during the talks to re-establish a full partnership, hoping to remove the ‘irritants’. John Kerry reportedly said that he was there to speak honestly with each other, openly about any gaps that may exist that “we want to try to bridge.” From the language and gestures of the leaders it appears that both sides are now sincere about overcoming the obstacles and starting afresh. The urgency arises from the ground reality that Pakistan needs support from the US to boost its economy and the United States is hoping to smoothly withdraw most of its troops from neighboring Afghanistan next year. The result of the talks has already started to materialize in the form of $7 billion in assistance to Pakistan over 5 years. A friendly relation between the United States and Pakistan will eventually help establish peace and stability in the entire region. The two countries should therefore work sincerely and persistently towards achieving the goal.