News Analysis |
U.S President Donald Trump has said that he looks forward to meeting Pakistani leadership in the near future in response to a question asked by a journalist to comment on the recent situation with Pakistan at the end of a press talk at the White House. “Pakistan — we’ll be meeting with Pakistan [leadership].
I think our relationship right now is very good with Pakistan,” he said. However, there is also a growing concern in the United States over the tensions between India and Pakistan which have not been cooled off as both sides have deployed troops and heavy weaponry alongside the Line of Control (LoC).
When U.S President wants to meet Pakistani leadership, just two days before U.S secretary of state Mike Pompeo while talking to a radio termed Pakistan’s nuclear proliferation as one of 5 top threats to U.S national security.
The situation between historic rivals has not deescalated as Pakistan hoped when it decided to release the captured Indian Fighter Pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan. India has put all three wings of its armed forces at alert while deploying missiles along LoC. In the Arabian Sea, Indian Aircraft carrier and a nuclear submarine are also marking its presence as briefed by a senior U.S administration official over the current situation between both the countries.
A Shift in the U.S-Pak Relations
It was not long ago that every U.S official with even a minuscule level of significance took a jibe at Pakistan with the same conventional rhetoric of terrorist safe havens. Just months ago, when Pakistan decided to approach International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout package, U.S threatened to use its influence so that Pakistan might not be able to get the desired relief from IMF.
Read more: India continues to threat Pakistan: USA expresses fear of another Pakistan-India…
But the tables were turned when the U.S was able to saw hope on the horizon toward the end of the 18 years long Afghanistan turmoil as the result of ongoing negotiations with the Taliban, facilitated by Pakistan. It was then, that from U.S army officials in the Central Command to senators and now the U.S president Donald Trump is all praise for Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Nuclear Program a Threat for U.S National Security
“Good Cop, Bad Cop” approach has become a trademark of U.S diplomacy over the course of decades. When U.S President wants to meet Pakistani leadership, just two days before U.S secretary of state Mike Pompeo while talking to a radio termed Pakistan’s nuclear proliferation as one of 5 top threats to U.S national security.
There has been a strong argument over the years that the U.S presence in Afghanistan was not meant to eliminate Al Qaeda but keep a watch at Pakistan and China as it sees them both as a threat.
“It’s the threat that we’ve talked about today from China, the nuclear proliferation risk that extends from Pakistan, through all those folks who have these weapon systems places like North Korea where they can sell these weapons. I think I’m at five already, but I could give you a whole list of threats that I think we can effect change on in a way that will really make a difference for the security of the American people,” he said.
Despite the repeated assurances from Pakistan about the impenetrable security of its nuclear arsenal being a responsible country, U.S still wants to stick to the narrative which suits its purpose. There has been a strong argument over the years that the U.S presence in Afghanistan was not meant to eliminate Al Qaeda but keep a watch at Pakistan and China as it sees them both as a threat.
Read more: A.Q. Khan: Nuclear hero to Pakistan, villain to West
If a country like the United States believes that Pakistan’s possession of nuclear weapons is a threat for its national security, it can have serious implications once Pakistan serves its purpose for the United States to help move its forces out of Afghanistan. Therefore, while it is important to work with the United States, it is also vital to look ahead and devise a contingency plan since the precedence tells that the United States has not been too kind with Pakistan once it has reached its desired objective.