A visit seeking to reset Pakistan-U.S. relations
It was a much-awaited meeting. Ties between Pakistan and the U.S. have strained since Donald Trump became the President and the U.S. withheld some aid to Pakistan. But the meeting between Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Trump went smoothly, in which the leaders discussed a host of issues from the Afghan peace process to the Kashmir issue. Mr. Khan later thanked “President Trump for his warm & gracious hospitality, his understanding of Pakistan’s point of view & his wonderful way of putting our entire delegation at ease”.
The Prime Minister’s visit has “begun the journey of restoring Pakistan’s dignity, pride and respect, which will serve as the foundation for further positive developments and progress to come,” Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi, who was with Mr. Khan during his U.S. visit, told The Hindu.
Sherry Rehman, parliamentary leader of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in the Senate and a former Ambassador to the U.S., said she would not pass judgment on a single meeting, given the volatility in U.S.-Pakistan ties. “But by Trumpian standards, where his White House lives in the constant transactional present, this was a good set of meetings. It’s the outcome that will judge if it’s a sustainable reset or not,” Ms. Rehman told The Hindu.
Afghan factor
Analysts are of the view that Islamabad and Washington have been trying to reset ties for quite some time. The U.S. is now in advanced stages of talks with the Taliban, seeking a peace deal to end the war in Afghanistan. It needs Pakistan’s support for any sustainable peace deal to take effect.
The visit by Prime Minister Khan was part of a series of events planned to build confidence, said journalist Arifa Noor. “The Afghanistan peace process has provided an opportunity to Islamabad.” It was not a visit that was expected to be followed by any major announcement and hence, the focus was on how the two leaders would interact with each other, Ms. Noor said. “By this standard, the visit has gone well for it appeared that the two leaders got along nicely. The informal exchange in front of the cameras in the Oval Office inspired hope for the coming days. However, the process to rebuild and repair ties continues and as the White House readout suggests, a lot will depend on the expectations of Washington and what it expects Islamabad to deliver, especially with regards to Afghanistan.”
Madiha Afzal, author of Pakistan Under Siege: Extremism, Society and the State, said the goals of the trip were to lift the relationship from the low of 2018, to establish a personal relationship between Mr. Khan and Mr. Trump, and to provide Pakistan with a publicity boost. In this regard, the visit was a success, at least for the moment. “On issues such as changing Washington’s perception of Pakistan and building the kind of relationship that Mr. Khan wants between the two countries, it will take a great deal more time and effort.”
In the view of Andleeb Abbas, Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, this was “a historic visit”. Talking to The Hindu, Ms. Abbas said: “The U.S. President has acknowledged Pakistan’s fight against terrorism, Pakistan’s sacrifice and Pakistan’s very important role in peace efforts in Afghanistan.”
She noted that President Trump praised Prime Minister Khan, saying he is a great leader, a great athlete. “The fact that the Prime Minister met Nancy Pelosi [House Speaker] and Mike Pompeo [Secretary of State], and the Army chief met Pentagon officials meant that now Pakistan and the U.S. are working on a win-win situation with mutual benefits.”
“President Trump’s offer to mediate as a peacekeeper between India and Pakistan to solve the Kashmir problem is also unprecedented because one, it makes the Kashmir issue an international and global issue recognised by all. Two, it also shows how keen the big powers are to have peace and stability in the region and appreciate the Prime Minister’s role in bringing peace to the region. So I think it was a very very successful visit,” Ms. Abbas said.
She added the visit had redefined the U.S.-Pakistan relationship, and it had also explained to Washington the Pakistan Prime Minister’s vision for bringing peace, prosperity and security to the subcontinent.
(Originally published in The Hindu)
The Prime Minister’s visit has “begun the journey of restoring Pakistan’s dignity, pride and respect, which will serve as the foundation for further positive developments and progress to come,” Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi, who was with Mr. Khan during his U.S. visit, told The Hindu.
Sherry Rehman, parliamentary leader of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in the Senate and a former Ambassador to the U.S., said she would not pass judgment on a single meeting, given the volatility in U.S.-Pakistan ties. “But by Trumpian standards, where his White House lives in the constant transactional present, this was a good set of meetings. It’s the outcome that will judge if it’s a sustainable reset or not,” Ms. Rehman told The Hindu.
Afghan factor
Analysts are of the view that Islamabad and Washington have been trying to reset ties for quite some time. The U.S. is now in advanced stages of talks with the Taliban, seeking a peace deal to end the war in Afghanistan. It needs Pakistan’s support for any sustainable peace deal to take effect.
The visit by Prime Minister Khan was part of a series of events planned to build confidence, said journalist Arifa Noor. “The Afghanistan peace process has provided an opportunity to Islamabad.” It was not a visit that was expected to be followed by any major announcement and hence, the focus was on how the two leaders would interact with each other, Ms. Noor said. “By this standard, the visit has gone well for it appeared that the two leaders got along nicely. The informal exchange in front of the cameras in the Oval Office inspired hope for the coming days. However, the process to rebuild and repair ties continues and as the White House readout suggests, a lot will depend on the expectations of Washington and what it expects Islamabad to deliver, especially with regards to Afghanistan.”
Madiha Afzal, author of Pakistan Under Siege: Extremism, Society and the State, said the goals of the trip were to lift the relationship from the low of 2018, to establish a personal relationship between Mr. Khan and Mr. Trump, and to provide Pakistan with a publicity boost. In this regard, the visit was a success, at least for the moment. “On issues such as changing Washington’s perception of Pakistan and building the kind of relationship that Mr. Khan wants between the two countries, it will take a great deal more time and effort.”
In the view of Andleeb Abbas, Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, this was “a historic visit”. Talking to The Hindu, Ms. Abbas said: “The U.S. President has acknowledged Pakistan’s fight against terrorism, Pakistan’s sacrifice and Pakistan’s very important role in peace efforts in Afghanistan.”
She noted that President Trump praised Prime Minister Khan, saying he is a great leader, a great athlete. “The fact that the Prime Minister met Nancy Pelosi [House Speaker] and Mike Pompeo [Secretary of State], and the Army chief met Pentagon officials meant that now Pakistan and the U.S. are working on a win-win situation with mutual benefits.”
“President Trump’s offer to mediate as a peacekeeper between India and Pakistan to solve the Kashmir problem is also unprecedented because one, it makes the Kashmir issue an international and global issue recognised by all. Two, it also shows how keen the big powers are to have peace and stability in the region and appreciate the Prime Minister’s role in bringing peace to the region. So I think it was a very very successful visit,” Ms. Abbas said.
She added the visit had redefined the U.S.-Pakistan relationship, and it had also explained to Washington the Pakistan Prime Minister’s vision for bringing peace, prosperity and security to the subcontinent.
(Originally published in The Hindu)
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