"The US- Pakistan relations that have developed with ups and downs can be best characterized as security related form of clientalism."
[Pakistan at the Crossroads]
[Christophe Jaffrolet]
As characterized by the Christophe, Pakistan and USA have had a love-hate form of relationship. The US- Pakistan relations can also be described as patron- client form of relationship or a transactional relation. Pakistan's relationship with the US have always been unidimensional particularly through the Afghan lens- be it resisting the USSR invasion of Afghanistan or fighting the global war on terror in Afghanistan. In both instances, it was the geographical position of Pakistan that was of interest to the US, and in return Pakistan gained economic-military assistance from the US.
Pakistan- US relations through the 1950s and 60s
When Pakistan emerged as an independent State there were two superpowers in the World- US and USSR. Liaquat Ali Khan was invited to visit both the countries. However, Liaquat Ali Khan decided to visit the US in 1950. This marked the pro-West tilt in Pakistan's foreign policy. Pakistan's decision to adopt pro-US stance was guided by her defense and economic needs. Pakistan needed the help of USA to help bolster her defense capabilities against India to ensure her security. Similarly, the US was a strong economic power and in a position to help the infant country's weak economy.
Pakistan joined western led SEATO in1954, and CENTO in 1955. This meant that Pakistan was officially in the anti-USSR camp. Pakistan joined these pacts expecting help from western countries to help resolve Kashmir dispute with India and to also augment Pakistan's military capabilities.
Indo- China war in 1962 marked the initial schism in Pakistan- US relations. To Pakistan's surprise, western countries provided military aid to India against China. Pakistan strongly opposed arming India as it posed a security threat to Pakistan. Further, in Indo-Pakistan war of 1965 Western countries laid arms embargo on both the nations. This affected Pakistan more as USSR continued to provide support to India. Finally, the lack of US support to Pakistan ion 1971 war marked the first breaking point in Pakistan- US relations and saw Pakistan move away from the US.
Pakistan- US relations through the 1970s
The tragedy of 1971 marked a stark shift in Pakistan's foreign policy. Under the government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Pakistan pursued "bilateralism"; this is that Pakistan developed and fostered independent, bilateral relationships with all the other states. Pakistan's relations with the Muslim Middle East improved considerably as can be ascertained from the OIC Summit held in Lahore in 1974. Similarly, Pakistan tried to reorient ties with the USSR and China. The country left US led SEATO and CENTO. This proved that Pakistan was no longer pro-US, rather a more bilateral approach was adopted in its foreign engagements.
Pakistan- US relations through the 1980s
It is important for CSS aspirants to understand the nature of US- Pakistan relations in the 1980s. With the onset of a new decade, Pakistan- US relations turned a new page. What happened in the following years resulted in a very close US- Pakistan partnership. After the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, the US again needed Pakistan's geographical location to gain access to Afghanistan. Pakistan was also insecure to have a large military presence on its Western frontier hence, there was a mutuality of interest between Pakistan and the US to oust the USSR from Afghanistan. Pakistan was willing to do US bidding in exchange for economic and military assistance. What prompted is a close collaboration between Pakistan and the US to train and arm Afghan resistant groups fighting the USSR in Afghanistan. The equipment sent by the US to Afghan resistant groups flowed through Pakistan. In exchange for helping the US in resisting the USSR in Afghanistan, Pakistan got a hefty $4.1bn military and economic assistance from the US between the years 1981- 1987. Similarly, the US supplied 40 F-16 aircrafts to Pakistan. This decade produced perhaps the strongest US- Pakistan engagement ever.
Pakistan- US relations through the 1990s
The era of 1990s is also referred to as a decade lost in the Pakistan's domestic context. Too much political engineering and instability took a negative toll on the country's foreign engagements. After the USSR receded from Afghanistan in 1989, Pakistan lost it's geostrategic importance to the US. Therefore, soon after in 1990 the US invoked Pressler amendment, imposing nuclear sanctions on the country. The US- Pakistan relations remained Luke warm during this decade. The US condemned Taliban forming a government in Afghanistan in 1996, which was recognized by Pakistan. After the military coup of Musharaf in 1999, the US further imposed democratic and narcotics sanctions on Pakistan. By the end of the decade, Pakistan became the most sanctioned country in the world, with the US- Pakistan relations at the rock bottom.
Pakistan- US relation post 9/11
After the 9/11 attacks, the US again needed Pakistan's geostrategic location to access Afghanistan. It was then that the US President warned Pakistan of "with us or against us." Soon Pakistan was back into the US camp, becoming a frontline state in the US led war on terror.
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