Dear,
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PAK - US bilateral relations are NOT perfect (episodes of friction are in the mix and well-documented), but USA is NOT hostile to Pakistan in true sense of the word or in the manner imagined by some.
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USA have supported Pakistan on different counts through the years:
1. Bush administration and later Obama administration - both provided substantial amount of funds and military equipment to Pakistani armed forces to improve their capacity to fight terrorism (and war). Pakistan received ATGMs (TOW class), M113 APC, M-109 Self-propelled Howitzers, Perry-class Frigate, AN/TPS-77 (AESA) radar systems, T-37 trainer jets, P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft, C-130E Hercules transport aircraft, AH-1F Cobra attack helicopters, Scan Eagle UAVs and F-16 Block 52+ jet fighters. PAF was able to revamp and expand its fleet of F-16 jet fighters in fact.
www.dsca.mil
2. Americans declared TTP a terrorist organization and assassinated its leaders and men from time-to-time.
Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) are foreign organizations that are designated by the Secretary of State in accordance with section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), as amended. FTO designations play a critical role in our fight against terrorism and are an effective means...
www.state.gov
Most notable kills:
Baitullah Mehsud (2009)
Hakimullah Mehsud (2013)
Mullah Fazlullah (2018)
Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud (2021)
3. FATF Grey List paved way for accountability in Pakistan. There wasn't any mechanism to check Pakistani Money Laundering activities otherwise.
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has been striving to create an enabling environment that facilitates both government and the private sector to gear up against money laundering and terror financing challenges. Technological advancements, the development of tax havens and complex corporate structures continue to enable criminals to hide their identity and their illicit activities such as drug trade, human trafficking, bribery, corruption and misappropriation of public funds. These are then introduced in the financial system and laundered for further use.
Pakistan needs to revisit its AML-CFT framework and form an independent regulator
www.thenews.com.pk
PTI-led GOP promised accountability and FATF-induced reforms were GOD SEND in this respect.
4. PAK-US relations are particularly constructive in economic matters. American companies provide lot of job opportunities in Pakistan. USA is also one of the largest export destinations for Pakistani goods.
www.census.gov
PAK - US trade flows are beneficial to Pakistan due to being SURPLUS in our case (profits).
5. IMF bailout packages
Pakistan finds it difficult to manage its economic situation due to considerable gap between IMPORTS and EXPORTS (lack of industrial growth due to load-shedding, expensive electricity and competitive pressures). Consumption requirements continue to increase due to population growth while corruption is rampant and measures adopted to extracting valuable natural resources are unnecessarily politicized. There is overreliance on remittances to manage Balance-Of-Payments (BOP) in the end. Due to these dynamics, Pakistan often finds itself in BOP crisis phase and seeks IMF bailout package to address it (this matter is also politicized in Pakistani discourses).
Multilateral loans, IMF in Pakistan was reported at 7594017498 in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Pakistan - Multilateral loans, IMF - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from...
tradingeconomics.com
Now keep in mind that IMF cannot provide bailout package(s) to Pakistan without American nod.
6. USAID programs in Pakistan
The U.S. and Pakistan have worked together for more than 76 years on issues that are important to both nations. The USAID/Pakistan Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) for 2023-2028 aims to make Pakistan stronger and more fairer.
www.usaid.gov
Scholarships
Funding of projects (Academic; Infrastructure)
Vaccination drives (Polio; COVID-19)
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Now imagine this - if USA had not supported Pakistan in any capacity whatsoever then what might be our situation? Venezuela 2.0 or worse? Pakistan have substantial amount of internal problems and lines of fault that USA can exploit to damage Pakistan in theory. This is the intended point.
Nuclear proliferation can
not be the source of leverage in international affairs; this is sure-shot way of inviting troubles. Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan is no longer with us but you may contact his family to find out how difficult things had become for him (and his family) when nuclear proliferation charges surfaced. These people could not even move around freely as a hint.
www.armscontrol.org
WE should come to terms with our limitations as a nation and NOT try to find enemies where they do NOT EXIT. This is NOT good for our country in the long-term.
Critic of USA and its Foreign Affairs is one thing (acceptable) but open-ended Anti-US narrative-building in Pakistani circles is HARMFUL. People do not seem to realize where things will head if this ill-advised trend continues.
Pakistan - US relations have gone COLD on the military front but do WE want the same in economic front? Supposed alternatives are never sufficient - no market is a substitute to Western hemisphere.
www.thenews.com.pk
dunyanews.tv
irshadgul.com
