By Asif Mahmood
Trump’s Surprising Policy Turn on Pakistan by Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, published in the Washington Post, is a must read for anyone trying to understand the shifting dynamics of South Asia and Washington’s evolving strategic calculus. The following points, drawn directly from that article, help explain why 2025 is being seen as a watershed year in Pakistan United States relations and how a long standing India first framework in Washington appears to be giving way to a markedly different approach.
According to the article, 2025 marks an unprecedented transformation in how Pakistan is perceived in Washington. A country long viewed through a narrow security lens and often treated as a reluctant or problematic partner is now being reimagined as a central pillar of United States policy in South Asia. This reversal is rare in American foreign policy, particularly when it involves a state that was, until recently, marginalised in favour of a preferred regional ally.
A decisive trigger for this policy shift was the brief but intense Pakistan India military confrontation in May. The article notes that Pakistan’s military performance during this episode caught the Trump administration off guard. The level of discipline, strategic focus and asymmetric capability displayed by Pakistani forces exceeded American expectations. This single event forced a reassessment in Washington and restored Pakistan’s credibility as a serious regional actor with real deterrent and operational capacity.
The Washington Post analysis contrasts this with India’s trajectory. For years, Washington invested heavily in an India centric strategy, promoting New Delhi through the Quad and other forums while expecting Islamabad to remain on the sidelines. However, India’s internal political direction, growing restrictions on civil liberties, uneven military performance and increasingly rigid diplomacy have undermined its image as a stabilising force. In this context, the assumption that India alone could anchor United States interests in South Asia began to look increasingly flawed.
The article further explains that the initial thaw in Pakistan United States relations did not begin publicly but through discreet counterterrorism exchanges. These quiet engagements provided Washington with tangible evidence of substantive cooperation. In March, President Trump’s unexpected public praise of Pakistan during a........

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