Karachi:
The arrest and extradition of the Islamic State terrorist of the State of Khorasan (IS-K) behind the deadly attack on August 26, 2021 against the US Marines underlines the importance of the American anti-terrorist partnership and could serve as a “construction block” to restore the bipacal links.
In an interview with VOA Deewa Services, Lisa Curtis, senior stock market and director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNA), has described development as an important step.
“I think it could be a kind of building to reset the American -Pakistani relationship – a very important step – and obviously the president [Donald] Trump mentioned it in his declaration to the joint session of the US Congress, “she noted.
Curtis referred to the capture of Mohammad Sharifullah, also known as “Jafar”, by Pakistani agencies which is accused of having certified the Abberting bombardment of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul who killed 13 American soldiers and around 170 Afghans.
President Trump announced on Tuesday evening the news of the capture of Sharifullah in a speech at Congress on Capitol Hill. “Tonight, I’m happy to announce that we have just learned the best terrorist responsible for this atrocity,” said Trump.
The American president welcomed Pakistan for helping Sharifullah ‘arrest. “And I would like to thank, in particular the government of Pakistan, for helping to arrest this monster,” said the American president.
Recalling relations between the United States-Pakistan, under President Joe Biden, Lisa Curtis rejected the allegations formulated by Jon Finer-who was assistant Biden National Security Advisor-that the Pakistan weapons program was directed to the United States. Instead, she stressed that Pakistan’s strategic objective remained on the fight against India because of its history of three wars.
“Pakistan’s strategic programs are motivated by the desire to punctuate India programs … With India, it has three wars, it is therefore an opportunity to reset the relationship between the Trump administration and Pakistan.”
Curtis, who sat at the first administration of Donald Trump as senior director for South Asia and Central to the National Security Council, suggested that the United States foreign policy recognizes the new geopolitical landscape.
She stressed that “we are in a new era”. Without American troops in Afghanistan, the main concern was now strategic competition with China because it is not in the interest of Washington for Islamabad to become entirely dependent on Beijing.
“The major problem is strategic competition with China, and it is not in American interests that Pakistan depends completely on China. We want Pakistan to have options, alternatives,” she said.
Although the reintegration of military aid at the levels observed after September 11 was unlikely, countries could exploit potential areas of cooperation, in particular in the IT sector, critical minerals and other mutual economic interests.
The main scholarship holder of the DC reflection group considered that if an official alliance or a strategic partnership may not be on the table, promote a cordial relationship with Pakistan in key areas of mutual benefit remains an option. “There are opportunities they [the US and Pakistan] Can cooperate when there is mutual interest in the IT sector, critical minerals. “”
Regarding the long -standing ties of Pakistan with China, she noted that Islamabad had sought balanced relationships and did not want to be totally dependent on Beijing.
“They [Islamabad] Would prefer to have good relations with the United States, so again, it is for the benefit of the United States, so it is certainly not in the interest of the United States to see Pakistan that you fully know depend on China, “said Curtis.
She added that the United States did not want to see an aggravation of Beijing’s historical ties with Islamabad or even a deepening of relations. “All I say is that the United States does not want to see China’s relations with Pakistan are aggravated or in-depth, not so in-depth where China finds a military outpost in Pakistan,” she added.
