PAK-US RELATIONSHIP Why US is bound to keep good re !tions "ith P!kist!

n#
In international relations, the nature of Pak-US equation is quite unique. Pakistan is a nuclear equipped Muslim state, a status to which America is quite allergic. Despite this the US would not let Pakistan get out of its sphere of influence. his is for the following reasons. !. Pakistan"s geo-strategic location is ideal. It is at the crossroad of #A$S countries, #hina, Indian ocean. Strategicall% ideal for the west and other rich countries to reach out to the resources of #A$S. &. 'awadar port has multipl% increased the importance of Pakistan. (. At a closer pro)imit% to #hina Pakistan"s position is immensel% important for the US. *. Pakistan"s ine+ita,ilit% for the war on terror.

History$ the Re! ity#

Pak-US has seen man% ups and downs in their ,ilateral relations. If we took into the e,,s of the histor%, we find that USA has ne+er ,een full% truthful and interested in her relations with Pakistan. She ne+er wished to esta,lish long term relations and strategic partnership with Pakistan. -ut whene+er, Pakistan could ,est ser+e her interest. She came closer to Pakistan. And once that task got o+er, she left Pakistan isolated. In the cold war and the war against USS$, Pakistan was to pla% a front line state role. herefore, US ,ecome an all% of Pakistan and showered Pakistan with aid and assistance, ,oth Militar% and #i+il cooperation. -ut once the war against communism got o+er, USA not onl% turned her ,ack towards Pakistan ,ut she also put stiff sanction on Pakistan. Pak- US relations could ,roadl% ,e discussed under the following headings.

%& A'ter In(eption P!kist!n Opted 'or the West US#

.hen Pakistan appeared on the map of the world, ,oth communism and capitalism started efforts to ,ring it under their influence. In !/*/ 0iaqat Ali 1han opted for capitalism ,% accepting the U.S. hand shaking, as he re2ected the $ussia"s offer of +isiting her.

)& *o d W!r !nd P!kist!n# After the defeat of 'erman%, the ,iggest threat to capitalism of the west was from communism. And Pakistan, due to its strategic position, could pla% a decisi+e role against communism. 3or this +er% reason the U.S. and the rest of capitalists came with militar%, ci+il aid to Pakistan. Pakistan was helped in agriculture, industr%, dams and securit% sector. +& W!r !g!inst Russi! !nd P!kist!n ro e in it# After the $ussian in+asion of Afghanistan, Pakistan was forced to re-think its securit% measure. Pakistan started guerilla was against $ussia in !/4/, when in !/5&, America reali6ed that it was the ,est chance to roof out communism and to defeat $ussia and take the re+enge of 7ietnam. She also 2umped into the Pakistan"s struggle against $ussia. United States of America ga+e Pakistan militar%, technological, intelligence, financial and agricultural support. .ith the help of U.S. we ,ecame a,le to drag $ussia out from Afghanistan. U.S.A. ,ecame the onl% supper power in the world after the defeat of U.S.S.$. 8nce U.S.S.$. was defeated, U.S. turned her ,ack towards Pakistan. And we e)perienced cold decade of U.S-Pak relation. .hen in &5 Ma% !//5, Pakistan went for atomic e)plosion, U.S. put +er% tough sanctions on Pakistan. And till /9!!, &::! we saw strained relations ,etween Pakistan and U.S. ,& -.%% !nd W!r on Terror#
After the incident of Twin Towers, the U.S. decided to wage war against Al-Qaeda and Taliban. Pakistan also decided to join the world community against Al-Qaeda and Taliban and become a front line state. Pakistan was gi en the status of !on-!ato ally by the U.S.

/& Aid !nd Assist!n(e to P!kist!n# U.S helped Pakistan ,oth financiall% and from militar% pint of +iew in order to make her a,le to fight against terror. his aid could ,e categori6ed in the following heading.
i& 0i it!ry Aid#

ill the start of &:!:, Pakistan defense was financed and supported with ,oth mone% and defense equipment. ill &:!:, Pakistan was aided with a,out !: ,illion dollars. Among that more than 5: ; was for the securit% purposes. In &::&, Pak was allowed to get spare parts of 3-!<. U.S and to ,u% == new and &= used 3-!<s. Pakistan was gi+e !< #-!(:, < aerostat sur+eillance radars, militar% radio s%stems, 5 P-(# air craft"s, &::: ow missiles, (:: side-winder air to air missiles etc. U.S. also facilitated Pakistan with the training of its securit% personals. ii& *i1i Aid !nd Assist!n(e# a. U.S. resumed the Pakistani products to its markets. In &:!:, Pakistan"s e)port to U.S. markets amounted to (.&< ,illion. ,. Pakistan got more than * ,illion dollars ci+il aid from &::! till &:!:. c. U.S. amounted !.= ,illion dollars for Pakistan in friends of Pakistan conference in ok%o in &:!:. d. U.S. helped in the up gradation of ar,ella h%del pro2ect. e. $eplacement or up gradation of !!:: tu,e wells in Pakistan for agriculture purpose. f. Assistance in >amshoro thermal power station, Ma6afargarh thermal pro2ect, 'uddu power pro2ect etc. g. U.S. companies in+estments in Pakistan. -ut till the end of &::/, almost all left Pakistan.

iii& Kerry-Lug!r 2i # According to this ,ill Pakistan would ,e assisted with 4.= ,illion dollars from &:!:-&:!*, !.= ,illions e+er% %ear. Among these !.= ,illions, 5:: million would ,e for the securit% purpose and the rest of the 4:: millions would for the ci+il de+elopments. -ut this ,ill is conditioned with man% unaccepta,le do and don"ts. 3or instance Pakistan arm% is stopped from mingling with the ci+il set of go+ernment. Arm% should not topple down a ci+ilian go+ernment, ,ut to recei+e such an order from U.S. is ne)t the +iolation of our so+ereignt%. i1& P!k-U&S& Str!tegi( 3i! ogues American interest skewed towards short term and medium term goals which are in conflict with Pakistan"s long term o,2ects. American wants to win war against terror and pacification in Afghanistan, while Pakistan wants an? a. @nerg% deal with U.S. as it did with India. ,. @conomic colla,oration c. 1ashmir solution In all the three demands of Pakistan, U.S. has shown least interest. So the discussion on strategic partnership has alwa%s ,een tactical for America and strategic for Pakistan. 1& *urrent 3i''eren(e. Irrit!nts# !& U.S wants Pakistan to launch operation in Aorth .a6iristan against Baqqani Aetwork. -ut Pakistan has ,een hesitant due to two reasonsC i. As its arm% is ,us% in Swat, Malakand, -a2awar agenc%, 1urram agenc%, Momand agenc% and -aluchistan, she can not afford to open new war 6one for her forces. ii. As Pakistan has restricted ma2orit% of the militants to Aorth .a6iristan after a long struggle. 8nce she opens an operation against them, the% would once again spread out in the countr% and would desta,ili6e the countr%.

b& U.S. wants to disrupt, dismantle and defeat Al-Daeda while for Pakistan particularl% . .PE ehrik-e- ali,an PakistanF is the ,iggest threat.

ali,an,

(& U.S. ,lames that there are elements in Pakistan arm% and I.S.I. that are supporting ali,an particularl% Afghan ali,an. B. #linton saidC GPakistan arm% is not going all out in cracking down Al-Daeda leadershipH. d& U.S. has ,een +iolating Pakistan"s so+ereignt% ,% continuing Drone Attacks in the ri,al ,elt of Pakistan. 8n the other hand Pakistan demands that Drones should ,e operated ,% Pakistan. e& Pakistan has ,een condemning U.S. unilateral operations against ali,an and Al-

Daeda. Pakistan wants U.S. to share its intelligence with Pakistan, so that to make operations against militants more producti+e. -ut U.S. has alwa%s denied Pakistan"s legitimate demand. '& U.S. has ,een tactfull% den%ing Pakistan demand for strategic partnership. Pakistan wants a ci+il nuclear deal with U.S. on Indian st%le. -ut U.S. has ,een reluctant to do so with Pakistan 1i& *urrent S(en!rio# !& R!y4ond 3!1is S!g!# he incident of 0ahore pro+es that U.S. intelligence personals are operating in Pakistan. wo U.S. pri+ate contractors caught in Peshawar, here are according to police and 3IA, were pri+ate detecti+e for #.I.A.

reports that like $a%mond Da+is, man% other agents are operating in Pakistan, which reall% hurts Pakistan"s interest. Due to this Pakistan has decided to minimi6e the U.S. securit% trainers in the countr%. Around fourt% U.S. trainers ha+e alread% left the countr%. U.S. is upset for this step of Pakistan.

b&

Os!4! 2in L!den Episode# U.S. marines entered Pakistan without prior information. he% used stealth technolog% that sa+ed their helicopters from Pakistani radar. he% operated for fourt% minutes in a house in A,,ota,ad and flew ,ack for Afghanistan. he% claimed that the% slained 8sama -in 0aden in A,,ota,ad. .hether 8sama was actuall% there or not is a separate issue ,ut this step of U.S. marines was a clear ,reach of Pakistan"s so+ereignt%. his episode ,rought ,oth the partners against terror at the +erge of departing from each other.

(&

H! ting P!kist!n5s Ar4y Aid? he 5:: million dollars aid that was assigned to Pakistan arm% is stopped ,% U.S. militants. his step of U.S. would certainl% affect Pakistan"s efforts against

d& *riti(is4 o' I&S&I& *hie' by *&I&A& *hie'# 0eo Panetta has ,lamed Pasha, the I.S.I. chief to ,e in+ol+ed in the murder of Saleem Sheh6ad. his illogical ,lame pro+es that Pak-U.S. relations are passing through a strained phase. e& P!sh!5s 1isit to W!shington# 0ast week I.S.I. chief +isited .ashington and had meeting intelligence and securit% personals. D.'. ISP$ has claimed that +isit was fruitful and our relation with U.S.A. is ,ack on the track. '. *IA Region! *hie' e't P!kist!n# he chief who was monitoring .ar on error left Pakistan on medical grounds, ,ut anal%sts think of it %et another sign of parting of the wa%s ,etween the war on terror partners.

g& *OAS 6ener! Key!ni re'us! $ #hief of Arm% Staff 'eneral Ashfaq 1e%ani has refused in the Aato meeting in Spain a,out an% militar% operation in Aorth .a6iristan Agenc%. h& Pre4ier 6i !ni5s st!n(e$ 3or the first time the go+ernment of Pakistan has taken a clear and ,old stance in repl%ing the US. PM 'ilani saidC GIt is time for the US to do moreH i& US A4b!ss!d!r7 0unter5s (riti(is4$ US am,assador in Pak has allegedl% critici6ed that Pak go+ernment has ties with Baqqani network. GUS can pro+e Pak go+t ties with Baqqani networkH 8- S! ! ! (he(k post in(ident# 8n &<th Ao+em,er, &:!! the US helicopters made an assault o+er Pakistani check post at Salala, Mohmand Agenc%, in which &* soldiers of Pakistan lost their li+es. In response Pakistan took three stern steps. he closage of AA 8 suppl% line, forced the Americans soldiers to e+acuate Shamsi air,ase and deciding not participate in -onn Ea cit% of 'erman%F (on'eren(e& H- *hi(!go (on'eren(e? AA 8 conference at #hicago on !5 th and !/th of Ma% &:!& held to sort out the e)it strateg% from Afghanistan. Pakistan participated in it with aim of mending its derailing ties with US. -ut unfortunatel%, US authorities did not agree to ,oth of the demands of Pakistan. 3irst, US must apologise for its illigetimate assault on Slala check post. Second, the demand of Pakistan to increase the transit ta) of AA 8 supplies from I&=: to I=:::. A,o+e that adamant approach of US president -arak 8,ama not to meet Pak president sent a humiliating message to Islama,ad. Pakistan has taken a firm stance not to open AA 8 supplies until US apologise for its inhuman act and to agree to the increase of transit ta) for AA 8 supplies.

The punish4ent o' 3r& Sh!kee A'ridi by P!kist!n#

he Bigh court in

Peshawar, Pakistan has imprisoned Dr. Shakeel for (: %ears. Be was working for #IA in tracing Al-Daeda leader 8sama ,in ladin in A,,ota,ad. US demands his immediate release. PAK-US turning to be eni4ies r!ther ! ies# he current hamuliating statement a,out US na+% sail operation of the US defence secretar% 0eon Panneta on his +isit to India sent a clear antagonisng message to Pakistan. G They didnt know
about our operation. That was the whole idea

#urrentl% Pak-US relations are at the lowest possi,le le+el, *on( usion It is true that keeping good relations with U.S.A is our necessit% and the need of the time. -ut keeping in +iew the past dishonest and haught% attitude of U.S.A. and keeping in +iew the uncounta,le ups and downs in Pak-U.S. relation. It is suggested that Pakistan should not throw all its eggs in one ,asket. She should turn towards the @ast E#hinaF, an all weather friend.