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Pakistan Affairs · CSS 2022 · Question 8

Discuss the issues and mistrust in US-Pakistan relations after the withdrawal of the US troops from Afghanistan.

By CSP Qasim Farooq

Understanding the topic

Focus on the period after the United States completed its withdrawal in August 2021. Explain the concerns on both sides and show how the relationship could move beyond the old pattern of cooperation during war and neglect after it.

Outline

  1. Introduction: the end of an Afghanistan-centred partnership
  2. Mistrust inherited from the war
  3. Disagreements after the withdrawal
  4. Wider tensions involving India, China and nuclear policy
  5. Areas where interests still meet
  6. A practical way forward
  7. Conclusion

Introduction

The final withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan in August 2021 ended the mission that had dominated US-Pakistan relations for twenty years. It did not remove the distrust created by that war. Washington remained concerned about terrorism, Taliban rule, Pakistan's nuclear programme and its close ties with China. Islamabad feared another period of abandonment and believed the United States ignored Pakistan's human and economic losses.

The relationship became uncertain because the urgent Afghan bargain had ended while no broader partnership was ready to replace it. Both states still share interests in counterterrorism, trade and regional stability. Progress, however, requires realistic expectations and cooperation that is not built around the next security crisis.

Mistrust inherited from the Afghan war

Different views of the Taliban

The United States believed Pakistan tolerated the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani Network while they fought coalition forces. Pakistan argued that it could not control every Afghan group and needed contacts with all sides to protect its border and support negotiations.

Different threat priorities

Washington focused on al-Qaeda and attacks on US forces. Pakistan gave greater attention to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Indian influence in Afghanistan, border management and refugees. Cooperation was therefore selective even when both called it counterterrorism.

Crises of sovereignty

Drone strikes, the 2011 Abbottabad operation and the Salala incident produced anger in Pakistan. Americans, in turn, questioned how Osama bin Laden could remain near a major military academy.

Competing accounts of sacrifice

Pakistan highlighted the lives lost, displacement and economic damage caused by terrorism. US officials emphasised financial assistance and claims of Pakistani double dealing. Each side felt the other dismissed its costs.

Disagreements after the withdrawal

Taliban government and human rights

Pakistan urged engagement to prevent humanitarian collapse, while the United States linked normal relations to counterterrorism, inclusive government and the rights of women and girls. Pakistan did not formally recognise the Taliban government, but Washington often saw it as the Taliban's strongest advocate.

Counterterrorism without US troops

The United States wanted the ability to monitor and act against transnational threats from outside Afghanistan. Pakistan faced strong domestic opposition to foreign bases and did not want to repeat the highly visible security role of the post-2001 period.

The return of the TTP threat

Taliban control in Kabul did not give Pakistan the border security it expected. TTP attacks increased, while Pakistan believed its concerns received too little international attention.

Afghan assets and humanitarian relief

Pakistan feared that sanctions and restricted access to Afghan central-bank assets would cause economic collapse, refugees and militancy. The United States feared that unconditional relief would strengthen Taliban rule.

Wider strategic tensions

US ties with India

Washington's growing strategic partnership with India, including cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, worries Pakistan. The United States sees India as an economic and strategic partner in relation to China, not only through the lens of South Asia.

Pakistan's relationship with China

CPEC and close defence cooperation with China raise American concerns about debt, technology and regional alignment. Pakistan rejects a choice between the two powers and wants workable relations with both.

Nuclear and missile concerns

The United States continues to focus on proliferation and strategic stability. Pakistan views its nuclear deterrent as a response to India and objects to what it considers unequal treatment.

Democracy and human rights

Political instability, media restrictions and electoral disputes affect opinion in the US Congress and wider public. Pakistani governments often view this criticism as selective or intrusive.

A weak economic base for the relationship

The United States remains an important market for Pakistani exports and a major source of education and technology. Yet security has long dominated the official relationship. When security urgency declines, too few economic institutions remain to hold it together.

Areas of shared interest

Both countries want to prevent transnational terrorism and another major regional conflict. They can share intelligence against clearly defined threats without recreating the post-9/11 alliance.

Trade, digital services, higher education, health, clean energy and climate resilience offer a more stable base. Cooperation after the 2022 floods showed that public welfare can connect the countries without the baggage of military dependence.

A practical way forward

The two states should replace broad alliance language with limited and measurable agreements. Pakistan should act against all internationally proscribed armed groups, while the United States should take the TTP threat seriously and respect Pakistan's legal limits on security cooperation.

Regular dialogue should cover Afghanistan, nuclear risk, India-Pakistan crises and China even where agreement is unlikely. Business, universities, Parliament and civilian ministries should have larger roles so the relationship is not managed almost entirely by security institutions.

Pakistan must also improve economic stability and contract enforcement if it wants investment rather than aid. A stronger commercial relationship will be less vulnerable to changes in military strategy.

Conclusion

The US withdrawal from Afghanistan removed the immediate need that had repeatedly brought Pakistan and the United States together despite deep mistrust. Disagreements over the Taliban, terrorism, India, China and democracy remain serious, but neither side gains from complete estrangement. The goal should not be to restore the old transactional alliance. It should be to build a narrower but steadier relationship based on trade, climate, education, technology and clearly defined security cooperation. Durable trust will grow when both sides stop expecting obedience and start delivering on limited promises.

References

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