EVERY leader from Pakistan, either in government or opposition, has congratu-lated Donald Trump, the president-elect of the United States. Many Pakistani-Americans supported Trump in the elections because of his supposedly warm relations with the incarcerated former prime minister while the two were in power in their respective countries.

However, it is worth noting that Trump’s foreign policy towards Pakistan as well as Muslims, in general, had not been as amicable as was Joe Biden’s.

It may be hard to digest for some, but it is a fact that Pakistan’s relations with the Biden administration were not that bad. People must not decide the strength of bilateral ties on the basis of a phone call alone.

Trump’s foreign policy was somewhat unpredictable, marked by popular rhetoric of not supporting wars, on the one hand, and ordering the killing of Iranian army general Qasem Soleimani, on the other. Basically, Trump is a businessman who knows well who to befriend and how.

From Pakistan’s point of view, Trump’s inclination towards India will be a matter of concern. The US might force countries to align their foreign policy with its own interests.

This will pose a foreign policy challenge to Pakistan, pushing the country towards considering striking a balance between China, the all-weather friend, and the US, its major export destination. Walking the tightrope might get difficult at times.

However, there is another school of thought that believes that Trump will not make things really hard for Pakistan, as he might not want an atomic power and a key regional player to fall into the Chinese orbit wholly.

If this happens, Pakistan’s task will become relatively easy, and it will be an utter failure if Pakistan fails to capitalise on it.

Shuja Ahmed Awan
Shahdadkot

Published in Dawn, November 22th, 2024