When President Ayub Khan of Pakistan met John F Kennedy at Mount Vernon in July 1961, the atmosphere was far from cordial. The reception, elegantly hosted by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, concealed the tension between the two men.

Ayub was irritated over Washington’s decision to extend a generous economic aid package to India, which he viewed as a direct threat to Pakistan’s security. In retaliation, he had suspended the CIA’s covert activities at East Pakistan airbases that supported Tibetan rebels and had even halted U-2 reconnaissance flights monitoring China from West Pakistan. Despite the frosty mood, the evening ended with a compromise. During a private garden walk, Kennedy assured Ayub that the United States would not provide military equipment to India, while Ayub agreed to reopen the airbases for American use.

A few days later, inside the Oval Office, Ayub laid out Pakistan’s case in military terms. Unfurling maps across Kennedy’s desk, he emphasised that India had deployed 85 per cent of its 1.5 million troops against Pakistan, leaving only a fraction on its Chinese frontier. He pointed out Afghanistan’s........

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