‘Neither Pakistan nor the US can afford to disengage, say experts’

‘Neither Pakistan nor the US can afford to disengage, say experts’

ISLAMABAD , 15^th March 2012

While Pakistan and the United States have hit a rough patch in their relationship, neither side can afford to disengage. This was the crux of a two-hour long roundtable at the Jinnah Institute which looked at US-Pakistan relations and brought together some US officials and some Pakistani experts including former military and foreign-service officers.

The US participants said that even after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, “we will remain involved in the region through other elements of national power not only because US interests are tied in with this region but also because we have friendly states here with which the US can constructively engage”.

Talking of Pakistani economy, a leading Pakistani expert said that while the economic situation has been stabilised, we have to ensure that we can sustain the upward trajectory and must grow at the rate of 7 to 8 per cent for at least another 20 years, given other indicators like our population growth rate and the demands it puts on the economy.

Ejaz Haider, Executive Director Jinnah Institute, who was moderating the discussion, agreed that a youth bulge presented a security concern for Pakistan and that ‘compartmentalizing’ solutions would not resolve these challenges. He also felt that evaluating Pak-US relations required going beyond a discussion of the Afghan endgame and the tactical concerns presented by it. 

A former ambassador expressed optimism about Pak-US relations in future as he felt the worst was over. However, he felt there was an inability to read the American mind when it came to the War on Terror. “There are contradictory narratives coming out of the US and it is difficult to say, on any given day, what the American objectives are in the region,” he stated, adding that security challenges in Afghanistan added to worry and instability in Pakistan. He also pointed out that Pakistan’s deteriorating law and order situation and the rise of militant extremism presented another grave challenge that hindered economic growth.

The Pakistani participants agreed that the US withdrawal from the region was the required solution in the short term and would help create the space for Pakistan and Afghanistan to engage the US meaningfully to the advantage of all sides when America’s military engagement in the region comes to an end.

The US officials agreed that Washington’s signals have often not been consistent and conceded Pakistan’s concerns on that score. A leading Pakistani journalist talked about Pakistan’s need to avoid international isolation. He stated that in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the Pakistani diaspora living in the US were alienated, when they could have played a role in strengthening ties between the two countries. He also pointed at the negative impressions about Pakistan given in the mainstream American press, which not only distorts perceptions in the US, but brings about anti-American sentiment in Pakistan also. One American official responded by saying that the US State Department was making extensive efforts to dispel negative impressions about Pakistan by engaging a cross section of the US population in dialogue, by connecting entrepreneurs from both countries together and through reaching out the to the Pakistani diaspora settled in the US. However, members of the delegation agreed that the mainstream American media’s reportage about Pakistan provided cause for concern.

Both sides agreed that Pakistani parliament’s review would make a good basis for resetting the relationship by clearly stating Pakistan’s concerns and priorities. “The relationship originally was configured in ways that were not conducive to a frank discussion of convergences and divergences. We now have an opportunity to be candid with each other,” noted Haider.

The roundtable was part of Jinnah Institute’s initiatives in Track-II diplomacy, whose aim is to engage multiple stakeholders in peace building and dialogue. JI was set up as a think tank in 2010 by Sherry Rehman, Pakistan’s current Ambassador to the US.

ISLAMABAD , 15^th March 2012

While Pakistan and the United States have hit a rough patch in their relationship, neither side can afford to disengage. This was the crux of a two-hour long roundtable at the Jinnah Institute which looked at US-Pakistan relations and brought together some US officials and some Pakistani experts including former military and foreign-service officers.

The US participants said that even after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, “we will remain involved in the region through other elements of national power not only because US interests are tied in with this region but also because we have friendly states here with which the US can constructively engage”.

Talking of Pakistani economy, a leading Pakistani expert said that while the economic situation has been stabilised, we have to ensure that we can sustain the upward trajectory and must grow at the rate of 7 to 8 per cent for at least another 20 years, given other indicators like our population growth rate and the demands it puts on the economy.

Ejaz Haider, Executive Director Jinnah Institute, who was moderating the discussion, agreed that a youth bulge presented a security concern for Pakistan and that ‘compartmentalizing’ solutions would not resolve these challenges. He also felt that evaluating Pak-US relations required going beyond a discussion of the Afghan endgame and the tactical concerns presented by it. 

A former ambassador expressed optimism about Pak-US relations in future as he felt the worst was over. However, he felt there was an inability to read the American mind when it came to the War on Terror. “There are contradictory narratives coming out of the US and it is difficult to say, on any given day, what the American objectives are in the region,” he stated, adding that security challenges in Afghanistan added to worry and instability in Pakistan. He also pointed out that Pakistan’s deteriorating law and order situation and the rise of militant extremism presented another grave challenge that hindered economic growth.

The Pakistani participants agreed that the US withdrawal from the region was the required solution in the short term and would help create the space for Pakistan and Afghanistan to engage the US meaningfully to the advantage of all sides when America’s military engagement in the region comes to an end.

The US officials agreed that Washington’s signals have often not been consistent and conceded Pakistan’s concerns on that score. A leading Pakistani journalist talked about Pakistan’s need to avoid international isolation. He stated that in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the Pakistani diaspora living in the US were alienated, when they could have played a role in strengthening ties between the two countries. He also pointed at the negative impressions about Pakistan given in the mainstream American press, which not only distorts perceptions in the US, but brings about anti-American sentiment in Pakistan also. One American official responded by saying that the US State Department was making extensive efforts to dispel negative impressions about Pakistan by engaging a cross section of the US population in dialogue, by connecting entrepreneurs from both countries together and through reaching out the to the Pakistani diaspora settled in the US. However, members of the delegation agreed that the mainstream American media’s reportage about Pakistan provided cause for concern.

Both sides agreed that Pakistani parliament’s review would make a good basis for resetting the relationship by clearly stating Pakistan’s concerns and priorities. “The relationship originally was configured in ways that were not conducive to a frank discussion of convergences and divergences. We now have an opportunity to be candid with each other,” noted Haider.

The roundtable was part of Jinnah Institute’s initiatives in Track-II diplomacy, whose aim is to engage multiple stakeholders in peace building and dialogue. JI was set up as a think tank in 2010 by Sherry Rehman, Pakistan’s current Ambassador to the US.