Analysts hail revival in US-Pakistan ties but warn partnership remains transactional
KARACHI: This week’s White House visit by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir marks a dramatic revival of engagement with Washington but is unlikely to evolve into a deep strategic alliance, analysts said, as both sides navigate a relationship still rooted in transactional interests.
The joint appearance before President Donald Trump was widely seen as symbolizing a new phase in bilateral ties and underscoring Islamabad’s renewed relevance to Washington’s evolving security and geopolitical priorities. But experts said the future of the relationship will depend on whether exploratory talks translate into tangible cooperation on trade, counterterrorism, and Middle East diplomacy.
Michael Kugelman, a Washington-based South Asia analyst, described the visit as “significant” for several reasons, including the fact that it was the first time a Pakistani prime minister had been invited to the White House since Imran Khan’s trip in 2019.
Khan was never invited during President Biden’s four years in office despite repeated overtures, making the invitation from Trump to Sharif and Munir politically significant in Islamabad. More than just a sideline conversation in New York, Kugelman said, the formal invitation to Washington “gives the meeting a certain level of prominence and prestige.”
