US-Pakistan relationship has ‘never looked so good’, says envoy

Rizwan Shaikh, Pakistan’s envoy to Washington DC, has said that the US–Pakistan relationship has never been stronger.

The comment comes at a time when US President Donald Trump has aligned his foreign and security policy in West and South Asia with Pakistan. As a result, the US-Pakistan relationship has deepened while the US-India relationship has plunged to its lowest point in decades.

Shaikh said the US-Pakistan relationship has “never been so good looking” in recent memory, according to Dawn.

Speaking at a symposium at Georgetown University, Shaikh said there was still scope to deepen the relationship.

Shaikh highlighted Pakistan’s potential as “a large country with the fifth-largest population and many things to offer”. He added that the Trump administration viewed Pakistan as a country with its own identity rather than solely in reference to Afghanistan or India.

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In his second term, Trump has found common ground with Pakistan on a host of issues ranging from the Gaza Strip to cornering India.

By undermining India on Operation Sindoor, seeking to intervene in the Kashmir issue, and repeatedly offering unsolicited mediation, Trump has essentially taken Pakistan’s side in the longstanding rivalry with India.

Trump has also held multiple meetings with Army chief Asim Munir, who has now been formally elevated as the country’s czar. In an unprecedented step, he hosted Munir at the White House. In the meeting, the two leaders reportedly held wide-ranging talks that covered everything from security and military bases to access to technology. The United States and Pakistan have also reportedly reached agreements on mineral extraction.

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Echoing Shaikh, Robin Raphel, a former head of the US State Department’s Bureau of South Asian Affairs, said Trump had removed the “emotionalism” that previously hindered US efforts to rebuild ties with Pakistan. Raphel has long been known to be close to the Pakistani establishment.

“Now is the time to strengthen the relationship with a country that remains strategically important,” said Raphel.