By Muhammad Omar Iftikhar
Now that the US has elected Joe Biden as their President, the era of Donald Trump and the confusion he created is over. This heralds the US into a new era. However, the diplomatic affairs Washington has had with Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and other countries from South Asia, Asia, and Central Asia must be realigned under the Biden presidency. In the case of Pak-US ties, Pakistan needs to put a line in its relations with the US.Prime Minister Imran Khan and his regime would need to redefine the diplomatic objectives it needs to achieve as far as its ties with the US are concerned.
The mistakes made in the past from both sides must not be repeated. Biden must ensure that the chaos created by Donald Trump is neutralized at the earliest. When focusing on Pak-US ties, China automatically becomes an active part of this equation.Where Pakistan and China are all-weathered friends, they both are also moving forward with CPEC. During Trump’s era, US-China ties became sour to the extent that in 2019 Trump went on to call China’s president an enemy.
Biden, on the other hand, is expected to forge new ties with China where the two countries will be able to co-exist. Washington’s relations with Islamabad will play a vital role in keeping smooth sailing between Washington-Kabul ties. The US, under Biden’s presidency, will also focus on Afghanistan and Kashmir.The unwinnable war initiated by the US in Afghanistan in 2001 still haunts the US. Pakistan will play a key role in maintaining strong US-Afghanistan ties.
The issue of Kashmir will also be on Biden’s agenda. Biden and Kamala Harris have been sharing their opinion about Kashmir and they view that India should restore civil and political rights in Kashmir. This is where US-India ties will play a role. With the sensitive issue of Kashmir into the picture, Pakistan-India ties will surely be affected. It will be up to PM Imran Khan how he tackles the issue without creating any discontent.
