 "US President Donald Trump speaks as he participates in a roundtable discussion with the Fraternal Order of Police at the White House in Washington, DC, US, June 5, 2025. File Image/Reuters")
US President Donald Trump has unveiled an updated travel ban impacting 19 countries, citing the need to defend the United States from external threats.
While the new restrictions cover a wide range of nations considered potential security risks, Pakistan — a country long accused by US officials of providing shelter to terrorist networks — has not been included on the list.
The decision to leave Pakistan out stands in sharp contrast to Trump’s previous actions and statements during his earlier presidential term, where he took a markedly tougher line on Islamabad’s alleged support for extremism.
An internal memo, reviewed by Reuters in March, confirmed that Pakistan was originally under consideration for inclusion in the revised travel ban. However, by the time the final list was issued, Pakistan’s name had been removed.
This change comes at a time of deepening commercial and political ties between Pakistan and business entities directly linked to the Trump family.
How Trump’s stance towards Pakistan has changed
During his first tenure in office, Trump made his views on Pakistan abundantly clear. On January 1, 2018, he posted on then-Twitter (now X): “The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!”
Later that year, the US government cut $300 million in military assistance, following an earlier decision by Congress to withhold an additional $500 million.
Trump also suggested Pakistan was complicit in hiding al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, stating, “But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy, everybody in Pakistan knew he was there.”
In April 2019, visa restrictions were introduced under Section 243(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), a provision reserved for countries that obstruct deportation processes.
The sanctions were applied to certain Pakistani officials and government representatives, reflecting Washington’s growing dissatisfaction with Pakistan’s cooperation.
Despite these tensions, Trump made overtures towards restoring bilateral ties. In July 2019, then Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan visited Washington.
Trump advocated closer trade cooperation and controversially offered to mediate the Kashmir dispute — an idea that India promptly rejected.
What may have led to Trump’s change of heart
The development in US-Pakistan relations appears to coincide with the announcement of a cryptocurrency collaboration between Pakistan and World Liberty Financial (WLF), a fintech firm based in the United States.
WLF is reportedly tied to members of the Trump family, including Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr, and Jared Kushner, who collectively hold a substantial ownership stake in the firm.
The agreement, signed in April, involves developing blockchain infrastructure and tokenising national assets. The partnership has been publicly endorsed by both sides.
WLF’s delegation to Islamabad included Zachary Witkoff, son of Steve Witkoff, who currently serves as the US Special Envoy to the Middle East and is a known associate of Donald Trump.
Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, personally received the WLF delegation.
Subsequent meetings involved key government figures including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, and senior ministers responsible for defence and information. The scale and visibility of these engagements suggested that this was no ordinary commercial agreement.
The WLF website highlights the project with Trump’s portrait and the tagline “Inspired by Donald J Trump.” According to reports, this association with the Trump family has spurred criticism that commercial interests could be shaping national policy.
How Trump has maneuvered India-Pakistan tensions
Pakistan’s exclusion from the travel ban list has come shortly after a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which triggered India’s military Operation Sindoor. Trump initially condemned the incident, but as the situation evolved, he began highlighting the need for diplomacy.
In media interactions, Trump claimed to have mediated a de-escalation between India and Pakistan. Speaking to Fox News, he remarked: “They are brilliant people and make incredible products.”
He added that trade was a key lever in his negotiations and claimed responsibility for halting military operations.
India, however, denied the characterisation, asserting that the pause in action was a tactical decision taken independently.
The Ministry of External Affairs clarified that trade was not part of any bilateral dialogue, stating that “it was the force of Indian arms that compelled Pakistan to seek ceasefire.”
Michael Rubin, a former Pentagon official, criticised Trump’s position, writing in the Washington Examiner that by asserting he had used economic threats to broker peace, “Trump drew moral equivalence between terror-sponsoring Pakistan and terror-victim India.”
How this move points to favouritism towards Pakistan
The Trump administration’s decision to shield Pakistan from immigration sanctions, even as it imposed them on 12 other countries including Myanmar, has drawn fire from geostrategic experts.
Author and strategist Brahma Chellaney wrote on X: “Trump’s entry ban on visitors from 12 countries includes Myanmar (where the US is aiding anti-junta rebels), but excludes terrorism-hub Pakistan, indicating his embrace of the Deep State approach to India’s neighborhood.”
Chellaney also argued that “Trump effectively bailed out Pakistan during its recent military standoff with India, claiming that he used economic-sanctions threat to compel India to halt its military operation after just three days.”
He added that “Trump has carved out special exceptions for Pakistan from his actions, including exempting $396 million in security assistance for Islamabad from his foreign-aid freeze.”
The absence of any formal US response to cross-border terrorism in the wake of the Pahalgam attack has only increased the scrutiny over Trump administration’s policy direction.
Once targeted with aid cuts and visa sanctions, Pakistan now finds itself praised by the very same administration that once denounced it.
With inputs from agencies