DONALD TRUMP’S POLICY AND POSTURE TOWARDS PAKISTAN: THE EMERGING DYNAMICS AND DRIVERS OF THE BILATERAL TIES

Abstract

Arguably, the growing estrangement between Pakistan and US predates President Donald Trump. Due to the divergent interests in Afghanistan and the region, the bilateral ties were already cracking under the chronic stress of mutual distrust and renewed acrimony between Washington and Islamabad. However, the unexpected election of Donald Trump as the US president further widened the gulf between the two countries with long history of transactional ties perennially vulnerable to disruption and discord due to periodic convergence and divergence of national interests. With his signature Twitter-borne diplomacy, Trump sought to tighten the screw on Pakistan by harping more vociferously and vigorously ‘on do more’ mantra than ever before. Today, the US has begun to view Pakistan from the Indian lens in order to appease New Delhi viewed as a critical strategic partner in her quest to contain China. The Indo-US deepening partnership has potentially tangible ramifications for the fragile strategic balance in South Asia. This scholarly endeavor seeks to dissect the dynamics and examines the drivers of the evolving shift in the US policy towards Pakistan-with unknown and unwarranted repercussions for the fragile regional peace and security. Keywords: Pak-US Relations, New US Afghan Strategy, Donald Trum