Abdul Haseeb
As the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) has embarked upon his first official visit to United States (US), a wave of criticism has once again been unleashed by a horde of pseudo intellectuals and dilettantes, vehemently denouncing the diplomatic effort without considering its broader strategic dimensions or the potential for constructive engagement. The Army Chief’s visit comes days after United States Special Representative for Afghanistan, Thomas West’s visit to Pakistan. The Chief met senior military and civil government officials during his visit to Washington and took up matters of mutual interest with the US authorities.
This visit marks a significant stride in the military’s persistent endeavours, adding to a series of diplomatic engagements cultivated with allied states. The Chief’s tenure so far is marked by a trail of notable visits to nations including China, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Iran, Turkey and Azerbaijan amongst others, characterizing the military’s proactive approach in pursuit of overall state interests. These diplomatic interactions have laid the groundwork for robust bilateral relationships, fostering trust and mutual cooperation, contributing to the consolidation of Pakistan’s strategic partnerships on the global stage.
The Chief’s current visit comes as the state sees a surge in terrorism, a slump in relations with Afghanistan and a pressing demand for economic revival. Pakistan has seen a dramatic rise in terrorism related activities since Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, with figures as high as 60%. Affront with the flagrant violation of Doha Agreement and Afghan Taliban’s reluctance to address the cross-border terrorism, the conflation of US Pakistan interests underscores the critical necessity to collaborate on pressing issues. The utilization of residual US and NATO weaponry by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in their terrorist attacks in Pakistan also pose a crucial issue that necessitates joint collaboration between the two countries. The issue of 25000 illegal Afghan immigrants eligible for special visas and asylum in US will be discussed to ensure the safe transfer of Afghans vulnerable to state scrutiny due to their assistance to US during its military campaign in Afghanistan, as per international standards.
The visit follows USCENTCOM’s (United States Central Command) Commander General Michael Eric Kurilla’s recent trip to Pakistan (July 2023), aiming to augment military-to-military collaboration on shared concerns and the reinforcement of security initiatives. It is pertinent to mention that the strategic security cooperation between Pakistan and US has been a cornerstone of the long-standing alliance between the two. The former is essentially labelled a major non-NATO ally to the later. Beyond the maintenance of robust partnerships in various military training programs and collaboration in bolstering mutual defense capabilities, both nations engage in extensive defense technology procurement endeavours. In the most recent bid, both the states have signed the Communication Interoperability and Security Memorandum (CIS-MOA) – a foundational agreement that the US signs with its allies to maintain close military and defense ties. The agreement provides a legal cover to the US Department of Defense for ensuring the sale of military equipment and hardware to the allies.
The current visit seeks to expand upon the inter-military collaboration and explore potential partnership in the economic domain. Notably, Special Investment and Facilitation Council (SIFC), as a single-window platform for the State’s ‘Economic Revival Plan’ will remain a key economic agenda on the table exploring avenues to foster collaboration between the two states. With diplomatic success of Chief’s previous visits to allied states, much anticipation is attached to the current visit in the policy circles, especially in the security domain. His visits to various states over the past year have been distinguished by their success in fostering cooperation on both military and economic fronts. Notably, Pakistan averted an imminent default due to debt roll overs by UAE and Saudi Arabia, following the visit of COAS to the states. In addition, the investment packages of $25 million, $25 billion and $10 billion (respectively) from KSA, UAE and Kuwait under SIFC were secured as future guarantees for sustainable development. The state has signed over 30 Memoranda of Understandings (MOUs) with China in the past few months in economy and development sector due to assurances guaranteed by the forces’ representative over investments in Pakistan.
The ongoing visit holds a particular significance amidst the escalating Israeli atrocities in Gaza, which has claimed over 18000 lives in the occupied territory thus far, displacing thousands and injuring many more. Against this backdrop, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) is poised to represent the sentiments of Pakistan’s populace and urge the US authorities to take immediate action to facilitate the earliest possible ceasefire to bring an immediate halt to the atrocities.
Beyond the ceremonial exchanges and diplomatic protocols, the COAS’ visit comes at a critical juncture underscoring Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to the fortification of not only bilateral ties in military sphere, but also in the realms of economic resurgence and shared global responsibilities to ensure regional stability and global peace at large.
