IN a significant development, President Donald Trump, in his first address to the US Congress, showered praise on Pakistan for helping the United States in capturing the alleged mastermind of the August 2021 Kabul Airport attack that killed 13 American servicemen, besides 170 others.
And hours before President Trump’s speech, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar received a call from US National Security Advisor Michael Waltz conveying President’s appreciation and thanks for the Government of Pakistan’s efforts in countering terrorism.
It is rare on the part of President Donald Trump to praise other countries and instead his return to the White House after re-election is marked by aggressive tone against leaders and countries in line with his slogan of America first and America is back as well as imposition of additional tariffs on major trade partners.
There was silence from Washington as far as Pakistan was concerned creating suspense on possible future moves and direction of relations with Islamabad.
In this backdrop, the first positive public remarks about Pakistan by the US President and understanding reached during telephonic conversation between Ishaq Dar and Michael Waltz to enhance cooperation in IT, energy and mineral sectors raises expectations for a bright future of the bilateral relationship.
The encouraging statement of the US President has prompted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to thank him formally for recognizing Pakistan’s pivotal role in the fight against terrorism in Afghanistan and reiterating commitment to maintaining a close partnership with the United States for the promotion of regional peace and stability.
The PM rightly pointed out that Pakistan always played a key role in counter-terrorism efforts, working to deprive terrorists and extremist groups of safe havens and preventing their operations against any country.
What the Prime Minister has stated is substantiated by events following the unfortunate 9/11 attack that formed the basis for American intervention in Afghanistan.
The US failed to fulfil its stated objective of bringing the then Taliban Government down despite use of massive military power for weeks but Pakistani cooperation made a difference.
Pakistan also moved decisively against terrorist outfits on its soil that posed serious challenges to the coalition forces in Afghanistan.
No doubt, the United States provided crucial military and financial assistance to Pakistan but the very fact that the country’s role as frontline state in the war against terror caused 80,000 lives of brave soldiers and civilians is a testimony of its unparalleled contribution for the cause of regional and global peace and security.
Pakistan also demonstrated its commitment to the noble cause of peace and security by facilitating American disengagement in Afghanistan.
The desire of the United States to get out of the messy situation in Afghanistan was highlighted by the hasty withdrawal leaving behind arms, ammunition and equipment worth billions of dollars, which is a bonanza for the Taliban but a headache for Pakistan as it is mostly being used in terrorist activities against the country.
President Trump must be appreciated for his pledge to retrieve this equipment, the presence of which has become one of the main factors of resurgence of terrorism in the region and for this purpose, Pakistan’s role and cooperation will be crucial.
This, in other words, means continued engagement and partnership of the two countries in their efforts to eliminate the menace of terrorism and promote regional and global peace and security.
The latest development shows Pakistan has not become irrelevant for the United States as argued by some commentators and instead a robust cooperative engagement is required to make the region and the world safe.
In the domestic political context, this seems to be a setback for the PTI, which had been lobbying hard in the United States for quite some time to get support for its agenda and hoping for a telephone call from President Trump for release of its jailed leader.
Our politicians ought to realize that the United States has its own national priorities devoid of preferences for leaders or individuals.
