DefinePK

Abstract

This paper examines Pak-US relations following the departure of US forces from Afghanistan. The central question of this study is if there is a potential for US-Pak reproachment given that the US's priorities have drastically changed since the withdrawal of its forces. The paper finds that despite being friends, Pakistan and the United States have had decades-long, complicated relations with contrasting perspectives on a diverse issue. In the light of the neoclassical perspective, the paper argues that the significance the United States attaches to Pakistan in the current geostrategic context—amidst the escalating US-China hostilities—is limited to Afghanistan and tainted by its close ties to China and the strategic significance of India. The US's reliance on Pakistan is likely to increase even after the departure of troops from Afghanistan because of the anti-regional framework created by Iran, China, and Russia.