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ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump has overseen a sharp recalibration of Washington&rsquo;s South Asia policy, with Pakistan emerging as a renewed strategic partner and India&rsquo;s long-favored position showing signs of strain, according to an opinion piece published by The Washington Times.&nbsp;The article, written by retired Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, a former US deputy assistant secretary of defense for Near East and South Asia, says Pakistan has moved &ldquo;from pariah to partner&rdquo; within a year, becoming a pillar of Trump&rsquo;s evolving regional strategy after years of mistrust, diplomatic isolation, and doubts over its counterterrorism commitments.&nbsp;At the start of Trump&rsquo;s second term, US-Pakistan ties were described as cold, with Washington viewing Islamabad as unreliable and overly close to China. The prevailing expectation among Trump advisers was to double down on India, strengthen the Quad, and sideline Pakistan.&nbsp;However, the article argues that concerns about India&rsquo;s domestic politics, civil liberties record, military performance, and diplomatic rigidity gradually undermined confidence in New Delhi as a regional stabilizer. At the same time, discreet counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan began to thaw relations.&nbsp;A turning point came when Trump publicly praised Pakistan&rsquo;s cooperation earlier this year, surprising Washington&rsquo;s policy establishment. According to the article, a &ldquo;virtuous cycle&rdquo; followed, with incremental cooperation leading to deeper engagement and growing trust.&nbsp;The opinion piece highlights Pakistan&rsquo;s military performance during its brief May clash with India as another decisive moment, saying it reshaped perceptions in Washington and restored Pakistan&rsquo;s image as a serious regional actor.&nbsp;The article notes that Trump&rsquo;s role in brokering a ceasefire following the May clash between India and Pakistan further shaped Washington&rsquo;s reassessment. While India was described as dismissive of Trump&rsquo;s involvement, Pakistan publicly welcomed and credited his intervention &mdash; a contrast the piece says resonated strongly with the US president.&nbsp;It also notes the rise of Pakistan&rsquo;s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, as a key interlocutor for the Trump administration. Munir&rsquo;s White House lunch meeting &mdash; the first for a Pakistani military chief &mdash; and subsequent high-level engagements with US military leadership are cited as symbols of the shift.&nbsp;As 2026 approaches, the article says, Pakistan has become central to Trump&rsquo;s broader strategy, offering Washington channels on Iran, the Middle East, and a counterbalance to China&rsquo;s regional influence.&nbsp;&ldquo;The era of India first in Washington has come to an end,&rdquo; the article concludes, while cautioning that the shift may not be permanent and will depend on future choices by both Islamabad and New Delhi.

Foreign Affairs

A Washington Times article highlights Pakistan’s military performance during its brief May clash with India, saying it reshaped perceptions in Washington and restored Pakistan’s image as a serious regional actor.

Trump’s policy shift elevates Pakistan, ends Washington’s India-first approach: Report

ISLAMABAD: The United States (US) has approved the &ldquo;release and export&rdquo; of a $686 million support package to upgrade Pakistan&rsquo;s F-16 fighter aircraft, according to letters sent by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) to Congress. The DSCA notification, issued under Section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act, states that Congress must be informed in advance of certain proposed arms sales. The agency said the package is intended &ldquo;to retain interoperability with US and partner forces in ongoing counterterrorism efforts.&rdquo; The DSCA said the sale supports US foreign policy and national security objectives. It added that the upgrades would help Pakistan &ldquo;meet current and future threats by updating and refurbishing its fleet.&rdquo; The package includes major defense equipment valued at $37 million, notably 92 Link-16 systems and six Mk-82 inert 500-lb general-purpose bomb bodies, along with $649 million worth of non-major defense items. The updates are expected to &ldquo;provide more seamless integration and interoperability between the Pakistan Air Force and the US Air Force in combat operations, exercises, and training,&rdquo; the DSCA wrote. It further noted that the refurbishment would extend the aircrafts&rsquo; service life &ldquo;through 2040 while addressing critical flight safety concerns.&rdquo; The letters state that Pakistan has demonstrated its commitment to maintaining its military forces and &ldquo;will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and services into its armed forces.&rdquo; A final determination concluded that Pakistan can provide &ldquo;substantially the same degree of protection for the sensitive technology&rdquo; as the United States.

The package includes major defense equipment valued at $37 million, notably 92 Link-16 systems and six Mk-82 inert 500-lb general-purpose bomb bodies, along with $649 million worth of non-major defense items.

US okays $686 million Pakistan F-16 upgrade: Congress notification

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan offers strong and expanding business opportunities for American entrepreneurs across several key sectors, Pakistani Ambassador to the United States Rizwan Saeed Sheikh told a visiting delegation from the Yale School of Management, according to Pakistan&#39;s Press Information Department (PID). The remarks were made during a meeting with a 35-member delegation from the Yale School of Management visiting the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington, DC. The visit, facilitated by the US-Pakistan Business Alliance, aims to allow students to explore investment opportunities, meet policymakers, and assess Pakistan&rsquo;s economic potential firsthand. The initiative reflects &ldquo;a growing interest in evaluating Pakistan&rsquo;s business environment and identifying avenues for stronger and long-term economic partnership,&rdquo; the press release said. Growing economic engagementThe ambassador told the delegation that&nbsp;Pakistan offers profitable opportunities for US entrepreneurs, particularly in the fast-growing, lucrative IT, energy, and minerals sectors. He added that both governments were committed to strengthening economic cooperation, noting, &ldquo;We are fully committed to providing a conducive and investor-friendly environment for US investors and the business community eager to tap into a dynamic market of over 250 million people.&rdquo; The ambassador highlighted Pakistan&rsquo;s strategic role as a regional trade corridor. &ldquo;Strategically located at the crossroads of South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East, Pakistan serves as a vital trade corridor, offering US businesses connectivity to energy-rich Central Asian markets and liquidity-laden Gulf states,&rdquo; he said. Key sectors and workforce potentialAmbassador Sheikh told the delegation that the positive trajectory of Pakistan-US relations was &ldquo;strengthening trade and investment ties for the mutual benefit of both nations&rdquo;.&nbsp; &ldquo;Pakistan offered significant opportunities in tourism, agriculture, energy, manufacturing, and information technology sectors, noting the country&rsquo;s comparative advantages in cost-effectiveness and qualitative terms,&rdquo; he said. Describing Pakistan&rsquo;s young and tech-savvy population as a national strength, Ambassador Sheikh said the country&rsquo;s &ldquo;largest and expanding demographic cohort&rdquo; is a &ldquo;key national asset&rdquo; that can meet the growing demands of US businesses and technology entrepreneurs. Following the meeting, the ambassador posted on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting investment opportunities in a &ldquo;250 million-plus market,&quot; with &ldquo;top talent in IT&quot;.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 696px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1997478502371676346&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=0edc8a1a9f94f14df23d992d85f82979c533c823&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>He also outlined steps by the Pakistani government to attract foreign investment, including reforms led by the Special Investment Facilitation Council to improve the ease of doing business.&nbsp; &ldquo;The success of over 80 US companies already operating profitably in Pakistan bears testimony to the country&rsquo;s vast economic potential,&rdquo; the Ambassador observed. The ambassador welcomed the initiative by the US-Pakistan Business Alliance to arrange the Yale delegation&rsquo;s upcoming visit to Pakistan and &ldquo;assured full support and facilitation during their trip,&rdquo; the PID statement said.

Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheik meeting the delegation from Yale School of Management (X / @AmbRizSaeed)

Economy

Pakistan offers strong and expanding business opportunities for United States entrepreneurs across several key sectors, Pakistani Ambassador to the United States Rizwan Saeed Sheikh told a visiting delegation from the Yale School of Management.

Pakistan offers major investment opportunities for US entrepreneurs, ambassador says

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met with Acting US Ambassador Natalie Baker on Tuesday to brief her on the Islamabad court suicide blast and Pakistan&rsquo;s ongoing counter-terrorism efforts. Baker, according to an official <a href="https://x.com/MOIofficialGoP/status/1990691880259194983?s=20" style="color:#0073e6;">statement</a> on X, condemned the attack and offered condolences to the families of the deceased, while recognizing Pakistan&rsquo;s &ldquo;significant sacrifices in the fight against terrorism.&rdquo; Naqvi said the attackers had intended to target the court but were stopped by security measures. &ldquo;All individuals involved in the attack have been traced, and the facilitators have been arrested. Investigations are being carried out from every angle,&rdquo; he said. The interior minister emphasized that negotiations and terrorist activities cannot proceed simultaneously and highlighted that Pakistan-US relations remain rooted in &ldquo;friendship and mutual trust.&rdquo; The acting ambassador praised Pakistan&rsquo;s counter-terrorism operations, noting the country&rsquo;s progress in tackling extremist threats. The meeting was attended by the Islamabad Police Inspector General and other senior officials.

The acting US ambassador offers condolences to the families of those killed in the attack and praises Pakistan’s ongoing efforts in the fight against terrorism. 

Pakistan, US reaffirm cooperation after Islamabad court suicide blast

ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump early on Wednesday praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir, terming the pair as &ldquo;great guy(s).&rdquo;&nbsp; The US president said that Pakistan&rsquo;s military head was given the title of field marshal because he is a &ldquo;great fighter.&rdquo; &ldquo;The Prime Minister of Pakistan is a great guy and the field marshal &hellip; You know, why he is a field marshal? He&#39;s a great fighter. He really is. He&#39;s a great guy too,&rdquo; Trump said while speaking at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Luncheon in Gyeongju, South Korea.&nbsp; Speaking about how he stopped the conflict between the neighbors in May using trade, the US president said, &ldquo;I called Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi. I said, we can&#39;t make a trade deal with you. You&#39;re starting a war with Pakistan. We&#39;re not going to do it.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;And then I called Pakistan, I said, we&#39;re not going to do trade with you, because you&#39;re fighting with India,&rdquo; Trump added. He said that two days later both sides came and &ldquo;they said, we understand, and they stopped fighting.&rdquo; &ldquo;How is that? Isn&#39;t that amazing?&rdquo; the US president said. Trump has praised Pakistan&rsquo;s army chief and the prime minister numerous times. He had earlier said that the pair were &ldquo;great people,&rdquo; calling COAS Munir his &ldquo;favorite field marshal.&rdquo;

Trump has lately praised Pakistan’s army chief and the prime minister. He had earlier said that the pair were “great people,” calling the army chief his “favorite field marshal.” 

Trump lauds Pakistan PM, terms Field Marshal Munir a ‘great fighter’

ISLAMABAD: The United States (US) saw a growing opportunity to expand its strategic relationship with Pakistan, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday, emphasizing that the move was not aimed at undermining Washington&rsquo;s longstanding ties with India.&nbsp;Speaking to reporters aboard his flight to Doha, Rubio acknowledged that New Delhi had historically viewed US-Pakistan engagement with caution. But he stressed that Washington&rsquo;s diplomatic approach aimed to work &ldquo;pragmatically&rdquo; with multiple partners at once.&nbsp;&ldquo;We know they&rsquo;re concerned for obvious reasons because of the tensions that have existed between Pakistan and India historically,&rdquo; Rubio said. &ldquo;But, I think they have to understand we have to have relations with a lot of different countries.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;We see an opportunity to expand our strategic relationship with Pakistan,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;&ldquo;Our job is to try to figure out how many countries we can find how we can work with on things of common interest.&rdquo;&nbsp;Rubio said US officials had been &ldquo;fully aware of the challenges&rdquo; posed by Pakistan&rsquo;s tense rivalry with India but insisted that maintaining strong ties with one did not diminish the other.&nbsp;&ldquo;They [India] have some relationships with countries that we don&rsquo;t have relationships with. So, it&rsquo;s part of a mature, pragmatic foreign policy.&rdquo;&nbsp;Rubio said Washington had already begun working to rebuild ties with Islamabad before recent regional tensions prompted renewed dialogue.&nbsp;&ldquo;Even before that conflict had started, I had already reached out to them and said look, we are interested in rebuilding an alliance, a strategic partnership with you,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;He noted that the US-Pakistan relationship had long involved counterterrorism cooperation but suggested that both sides were now exploring broader areas of collaboration.&nbsp;&ldquo;We&rsquo;d like to expand it beyond that, if possible, and [we] understand that there&rsquo;ll be some difficulties and some challenges,&rdquo; Rubio said. &ldquo;But I think it&rsquo;s a very encouraging thing that that relationship has strengthened the way that it has.&rdquo;&nbsp;Rubio repeatedly stressed that the US approach was a balancing act among multiple major regional powers.&nbsp;&ldquo;We have to have relations with a lot of different countries,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s our job.&rdquo;&nbsp;The Secretary was traveling to Doha for continued coordination on the Middle East ceasefire process, which he acknowledged remained fragile. &ldquo;Every night brings a new challenge,&rdquo; he said, adding that sustaining progress would require &ldquo;constant maintenance&rdquo; and continued high-level engagement.&nbsp;Rubio said he had just spoken with the Israeli Prime Minister before boarding and noted that more US officials would be deployed in the region in the coming days.

Americas

En route to Doha, Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the US sees opportunity to expand its strategic relationship with Pakistan, emphasizing it complements, not threatens, longstanding ties with India and seeks broader regional partnerships.

US seeks to broaden strategic partnership with Pakistan: Rubio

ISLAMABAD: The United States and Pakistan on Wednesday agreed to deepen cooperation in new areas of mutual interest, promoting precision agriculture and digital farming technologies to improve efficiency and sustainability. &nbsp; In a meeting held by Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain today with Acting US Ambassador to Pakistan Natalie A. Baker, the delegation from two countries met &ldquo;to discuss ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in the agriculture sector and increase agricultural trade between the two countries.&rdquo; According to a press release issued late on Wednesday, the minister appreciated the long-standing partnership between Pakistan and US in agriculture, food security, and research, noting that US has been a key partner in Pakistan&rsquo;s agricultural development. Major initiatives being implemented under Pak-US agricultural cooperation were also reviewed during the meeting, the press release said.&nbsp; It said that the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) side &ldquo;expressed interest in collaborating on genetic improvement programs for dairy and beef cattle to further enhance productivity and export competitiveness.&rdquo; &ldquo;Both sides agreed to deepen cooperation in new areas of mutual interest, including joint research for the development of hybrid and disease-resistant crop varieties, local vaccine production, livestock breed improvement, and agricultural mechanization,&rdquo; the press release said.&nbsp; It said that the discussion also focused on promoting precision agriculture and digital farming technologies to improve efficiency and sustainability.&nbsp; The minister emphasized Pakistan&rsquo;s keen interest in expanding its agricultural exports, particularly mangoes and horticultural products, to the US through improved compliance, certification, and export protocols, it added. The minister also reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to advancing a resilient, sustainable, and technology-driven agriculture sector through continued collaboration with the US, thanking the US government for its &ldquo;consistent support and expressed confidence that this partnership will open new avenues for agricultural innovation, investment, and trade between the two countries.&rdquo;

Major initiatives being implemented under Pak-US agricultural cooperation were also reviewed during the meeting; Federal Minister Rana Tanveer appreciates the long-standing partnership between Pakistan, US in agriculture.

Pakistan, US deepen bilateral cooperation, agree to enhance agricultural trade

ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump praised Pakistan&rsquo;s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir during an address to senior American military leaders at Quantico, saying they had credited him with averting a devastating war with India.&nbsp;Speaking to 800 top officers, Trump said the two Pakistani leaders recently thanked him in Washington for helping prevent what could have been a catastrophic conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors.&nbsp;&ldquo;This man saved millions of lives because he saved the war from going on,&rdquo; Trump quoted them as saying. He recounted how tensions escalated after fighter jets were downed.&nbsp;&ldquo;They just shot down seven planes,&rdquo; Trump said. &ldquo;It was starting, there was a lot of bad blood. That war was going to get very bad... very, very bad. But we stopped it. Millions saved.&rdquo;&nbsp;Trump claimed he used the threat of suspending trade to pressure both capitals into backing down. &ldquo;I said, &lsquo;You do this, there&rsquo;s not going to be any trade.&rsquo; And I stopped the war. It was raging for four days, but that was just the beginning.&rdquo;&nbsp;The crisis followed a militant attack in April in Indian-occupied Kashmir&rsquo;s Pahalgam, which killed at least 26 tourists. India accused Pakistan of orchestrating the assault, a charge Islamabad strongly denied while offering an independent investigation. The incident sparked a military exchange that left more than 70 people dead on both sides before a ceasefire took effect on May 10.&nbsp;Broadening his remarks beyond South Asia, Trump also highlighted what he described as his mediation successes in Africa, citing efforts to defuse tensions between Congo and Rwanda. He joked that even with such achievements, he would &ldquo;never get a Nobel Prize.&rdquo;&nbsp;Mixing humor with forceful assertions of American influence, Trump told the military gathering he took pride in &ldquo;saving millions&rdquo; through diplomacy and pressure tactics. &ldquo;It was a great thing,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;And I was very honored.&rdquo;

US president praises Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, saying they thanked him for helping avert a potentially devastating India-Pakistan war that ended in a ceasefire after four days.

Articles tagged with "Pakistan US Ties"