● In 1947, at the time of creation of Pakistan, the USA was engaged in the Cold War, a state of hostility between the USA and the USSR/now Russia. Usa was busy in the anti-Soviet alliances in various parts of the world. ● It took some years for the USA to recognize the geo-political importance of Pakistan. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Liaqat Ali Khan changed his plan to visit Moscow, and flew to Washington in 1950. This laid the basis of the Pak-USA relations. ● In 1954 and 1955 pak signed agreements and established as pro west ● Pakistan and the United states drew close together and entered into a mutual defense assistance agreement in 19 May 1954. An Act to promote the foreign policy and provide for the military assistance to foreign nations. ● In same year SEATO was set up. Pakistan also joined, but the decision faced opposition from within the govt. so the treaty was ratified until 1955. The purpose of the organization was to prevent communism from gaining ground in the region. Pakistan soon realised that its membership was of little importance as treaty only applied to help against communist aggression. So Pakistan was received no support in its wars against India. ● In 1955, Baghdad pact(turkey, Iraq) was also signedban anti communist alliance ,later in the year pak ,iran and Britain joined which was renamed ‘The Central Asian Treaty Organisation’ [CENTO] after Iraq left in 1959. However, despite regular meetings, the group never developed a permanent structure or a system for raising troops for mutual defence. USA supported it, ● During 1960s and 1970s relations were often strained. ● In 1962, China went to a war with India. As China was communist so USA provided military aid to help India fight. Pakistan was angered over this because USA did not consult Pakistan before providing aid. Pakistan argued that Americans should have forced the Indians to accept arbitration on Kashmir issue as a price for receiving aid. ● In 1962, Ayub Khan visited China and in 1965 he visited Soviet Union. As both were communist, so these visits displeased USA. USA did not support Pakistan openly during the 1965 war.Instead it stopped the supply of Arm to Pakistan. Pakistan had to face an arms embargo, meaning that the supply of US arms was suspended. Pakistan was upset when USA openly refused to give any support to Pakistan in the Bangladesh episode in 1971. ● Although Ayub displeased USA by visiting communist countries, he is known as architect of good relations with USA. He allowed them to build air bases in Pakistan and remained loyal to USA even during the embarrassing ‘U2 Affair’. So relations were good. But when he was replaced by Bhutto, Americans became concerned as he was not as pro-American as his predecessors and relations deteriorated. ● When Zia came, relations reached rock bottom as Americans did not approve of military regimes. In 1979 US Embassy in Islamabad was burned. USA accused Zia of complicity PAKISTAN AND AMERICA RELATIONSHIP 😫😫 in the attack. It also recalled many of its senior officials and all aid programmes were cancelled. ● However, during same year, situation changed overnight when soviets attacked Afghanistan. USA began to provide military and economic aid to Pakistan and also to support Afghan rebels. Relations became very good and warm. Pakistan enjoyed rapid economic development and became leading military nation in the region. But when peace agreements was signed in 1988, Pak lost its strategic importance to USA. Aid was reduced dramatically which became a big problem for new govt. of Benazir Bhutto ● Pakistan was pressurized to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) by US but Pakistan subjected its acceptance to India doing the same. ● In 1985 the Pressler Amendment had said that the USA could only give aid to a country after American President had declared that country had no nuclear weapons and was not developing them. ● After Afghan crisis was over, President Bush refused to declare that this was the case with Pakistan and he blocked aid to country. He also stopped sale of 28 F-16 fighter jets which Pak had ordered (and paid for). Pakistan complained bitterly on the amendment. ● Benazir Bhutto defended Pakistan’s nuclear programme in her speech in the US Congress as she could not rick disturbed relations with the US. ● The Pakistan US relations were further deteriorated when Nawaz Sharif came to power in 1990 and extended his anti-west policies, as he was himself the legacy of Zia’s rule. ● Under various laws, the US aid was stopped and objections were raised about Pakistan’s nuclear programs. Senator Larry Pressler in 1991 warned Pakistan to take steps against the growth of fundamentalism (extremism in Muslims). This led to a significant deterioration of relations between the two countries, and many economic development projects of Pakistan were suspended. ● .The US aid to Pakistan was literally suspended during the first regime of Nawaz and Under various laws, the US aid was stopped and objections were raised about Pakistan’s nuclear programs ● In 1992 usa came close to declaring pak as state sponsor of terrorism due to weapons and drugs . ● In 1995, Defence secretary, William Perry, visited Pakistan and declared that Pressler Amendment had been a mistake. In 1996, Brown amendment authorised the US govt. to reimburse Pak for F-16 payments and provide $388 million in military equipment.The thaw in the relations was further highlighted when First Lady Hillary Clinton and her daughter, Chelsea, visited Pakistan in 1996. ● The relations hit low ebb in 1998 when Pakistan, ignored all the international pressure in general and US in particular and tested her nuclear devices in reply to the Indian tests in May ● Pakistan’s insistence of not signing the CTBT until India does was probably the last nail in the good relations of the US with Pakistan.
