President Donald Trump’s diatribe against Pakistan sponsoring cross border terrorism and his Afghan policy favouring India have caused a freeze in US-Pakistan relations. It is Islamabad which appears to be on the offensive. Pakistan has angrily rejected the proposed visit of two senior US officials to Islamabad to sort out differences resulting from Trump’s recognition of India’s stakes in Afghanistan and denunciation of Pakistan as a virtual terror state. Pakistan has also cancelled a scheduled trip to Washington of its new foreign minister Khwaja Mohammad Asif at the invitation of US secretary of state. It appears that Islamabad is for the moment ignoring the needs of its fragile economy. US authority have imposed a $630 million penalty on Pakistan’s leading bank, Habib Bank Limited, for non compliance with US anti- money laundering loss; forcing it to shut down its US operations. Islamabad is planning to close American supply routes to land- locked Afghanistan for the first time. As a retaliatory measure, the Trump administration hardliners wish to further tighten the screws in order to force Pakistan to clamp down on the terror groups harboured by that country. Aid will freeze not only from Washington but also from multi- lateral agencies and Western allies. US visas, visits and access to Pakistani leaders and officials who rationalize terrorism will be stopped by the US.
Asif and other Pakistani leaders are busy strengthening ties with other countries. Visits are being planned to China, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Pakistan is already on a shaky wicket after the removal of PM Nawaz Sharif . Overtures to other allies will hardly make up for the downslide in ties with the US. This is a make and break point for Pakistan diplomacy. In a sense Donald Trump has managed to do what other US Presidents have only threatened to do with Pakistan for promoting cross-border terrorism and above all for sheltering Osama Bin Laden, America’s sworn enemy who was finally eliminated by US seals.
