menu_open Columnists
We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

In the shadow of Uncle Sam

43 0
04.08.2025

The US Pakistan relations have been a roller coaster ride and have evolved significantly since the independence of Pakistan in August 1947.

The pendulum of relations between the two countries has swung from a time of close and friendly relations to periods of tensions and strains. Back in the 1950s the US wanted Pakistan’s cooperation and alliance in their ongoing cold war conflict with the communist world led by the USSR and Pakistan obliged them by entering into two defense pacts namely SEATO and CENTO and the US was also given a base near Peshawar from where they flew spy missions over the USSR with their U-2 aircraft.

America imposed sanctions on Pakistan after the 1965 war with India and all military and economic aid to Pakistan was suspended and this was repeated in 1971 and 1975 and these actions created a bad taste in the mouth when policy makers in Pakistan designated the USA as an unreliable ally. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 ushered in a new phase of close partnership between the two countries when Pakistan became the frontline ally in fighting the Afghan war against the USSR. After the Cold War ended in 1989 and the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan, relations cooled, with the US again imposing sanctions after Pakistan’s nuclear tests in 1998.

The 9/11 attacks and the subsequent US-led war in Afghanistan brought Pakistan back into the spotlight as a crucial ally, though the relationship remained complex. More recently, the US has emphasized a broader partnership with Pakistan, focusing on economic development,........

© Pakistan Observer