Relations between Washington and Islamabad? It's Complicated

Relations between Washington and Islamabad? It’s Complicated

NAJIA TOP, PAKISTAN – FEBRUARY 25: A Pakistani Army soldier stands guard on a strategic mountain February 25, 2008 at Najia Top, in northwestern Pakistan. The army has been battling Islamic militants for months in the area and has taken back large swaths of land which had been controled by insurgents. The country’s commitment to the fight against Taliban and Al Qaeda in the region is a major issue between Pakistan and the United States as the country forms a new government following recent national elections. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

Posted: August 13th, 2018

Pakistan sits at a critical crossroads of U.S. Counterterrorism efforts, and geo-political strategy with China. Pakistan has elected a former cricket player, Imran Khan, as it’s newest Prime Minister. Pakistan’s new Leader could prove to be a spoiler in US/Afghanistan relations, as he’s previously expressed support for the Taliban, criticized the U.S. war in Afghanistan and advocated for a change in the overall U.S.-Pakistan relationship, to counter what he’s called a one-sided arrangement.

Khan assumes his new role as the Pakistani economy approaches economic crisis, with fresh and rising debt from China, and limited choices on economic relief proposals. The U.S. is keeping a watchful eye on his first economic moves, adding to an already tense diplomatic posture between the two countries after the U.S. suspended economic aid earlier this year, and more recently as Pakistan was added to an international “grey list” for failing to act against terrorist financing on it’s own soil.

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