Relations with the United States

Official CSS Syllabus Item: Pakistan's External Affairs → Relations with the United States — part of 40 Marks

Answer Structure

Historical background 2. Current status/key developments 3. Areas of cooperation 4. Areas of tension 5. Pakistan's strategic interest 6. Way forward

Close Cold War alliance → post-9/11 "War on Terror" partnership (with major domestic security fallout) → post-2021 Afghan withdrawal relative cooling → renewed engagement interest as of 2026

Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif has publicly called for "a new chapter in Pakistan-US relations" — signals interest in improved ties
US remains a major (though less dominant than in Cold War/War on Terror eras) security and economic partner

US continues sanctions-architecture influence over regional actors (relevant to the UAE-Iran frozen assets controversy)
Pakistan's deepening ties with China create a persistent structural tension in the US relationship, given US-China strategic rivalry
US role in the 2026 Iran war and Gulf security indirectly shapes Pakistan's position, given Pakistan's new Gulf defense commitments (Makkah pact)

4th US-Pakistan Counterterrorism Dialogue held in Washington, D.C. (4 Aug 2026), led by US Coordinator for Counterterrorism Amb. Gregory LoGerfo and Pakistan's Special Secretary Amb. Nabeel Munir
Both sides affirmed joint resolve against ISIS-K, al-Qa'ida (AQ), TTP, and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) — a frequently testable named list
Discussions covered threat environment, border security, and disrupting terrorist facilitation networks
Shows CT cooperation continuing as an operational track even while broader political ties stay modest

Relations moved from Biden-era "benign neglect" to active engagement after Trump's second-term inauguration — driven largely by personal/military channels rather than institutional ones