WASHIGNTON, Aug.21: Repairing US-Pakistan relations would be a win-win for both countries as both have shared interests in the regional stability and promoting nuclear deterrence in South Asia, said a news report on Tuesday, urging the Trump administration to take the initiative with the newly elected government of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Writing for online news magazine The Hill, Mitchell B. Reiss, a political analyst and a former Director of Policy Planning at the US State Department said, while both countries face challenges, they have a variety of issues and areas where they can help each other.

“The Trump administration should take the initiative and re-energize a diplomatic process where these issues can be discussed and better managed. The new Khan Administration needs to be tested to see if it will be responsive to US concerns,” he added.  

The analyst observed that repairing US-Pakistan relations would be a win-win for both countries as “Our interests overlap on fighting terror, enhancing nuclear deterrence in South Asia, increasing regional stability and promoting economic development. The Trump administration should not miss the opportunity to advance our national interest.”

In South Asia, the report said, the US preferred Pakistan and India to have a more stable relationship through direct military-to-military talks and other confidence-building measures.

Pakistan, the report said, had its own frustrations with the Trump administration as the Republican-led Congress had held up sale of military hardware and assistance to Pakistan.          

“Islamabad argues that its track record on fighting terrorism is better than its critics allow; since 9/11, more than 95 percent of al Qaeda and Islamic State terrorists have been killed or captured in Pakistan, resulting in the seizure of more than 200 tons of IED precursors,” the report said.

The analyst said that Pakistan was a nuclear weapons state that shared a long and treacherous border with Afghanistan, where America was fighting its longest war on record. “Indeed, Pakistan remains on the front line; in the run up to the recent election, Islamic State attacks in the border region killed hundreds of Pakistanis. During the past decade, it has lost some 60,000 people to terror,” said the report.

“The Trump Administration’s challenge is to patiently craft a more constructive relationship with Pakistan that helps stabilize a dangerous and strategically important region. The terror threat from Islamic State and al-Qaeda is one that both countries share, and offers a potential starting point for new joint efforts,” it added.

(APP)

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