U.S  & Pakistan Conflict Resolution

For a number of years, the United States of America has sought to establish country-to-country relations, especially with the Arab countries, particularly those in the Middle East. Some countries such as Iran have disapproved of the relations further pushing for the Arab countries to discontinue associating with the U.S (Kriesberg & Drayton, 2012). However, Pakistan has cooperated to enhance its relations with the U.S, but there have been numerous and tumultuous obstacles, both local and foreign, that have sought to cripple the engagement of these two countries, further denting the inducements made by the U.S to secure relations with Pakistan.

The U.S has reached the Pakistani government, through various means in order to improve its relations with the country. Politically, the U.S has tried to foster its relations with Pakistan by focusing its attention in Afghanistan. Shehzad Qazi (2012) surmises that the American government is creating a political strategy in Afghanistan using counterinsurgency tactics on the radical political cum terrorist group, Taliban. According to Qazi, the main objective of attacking the Taliban was not to defeat it but to create a situation that would allow both Pakistan and American troops to gain control over major cities and roads in southern Afghanistan and impose costs on the Taliban that would force them to negotiations. This was part of a national reconciliation program led by the Afghan government, which saw the U.S establishing a 1.5 billion dollar fund to grant monetary inducements to the Taliban unit. However, the plan to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table was also dependent on Pakistan, since the country had to mount political pressure on the Taliban for the success of the negotiations. The U.S has also commenced talks with Pakistan to create a bilateral treaty that will see the U.S initiating investments in the country’s nuclear resources. In an article by the Daily Times on August 31, 2012, the Pakistan Board of Investment (BoI) drafted the Pakistan-U.S Bilateral Investment Treaty for presentation to the cabinet. The treaty will enable American companies to invest in nuclear power plants. Militarily, the U.S has provided the Pakistan government in fighting the al-Qaeda. According to Kriesberg, (2012), drone strikes have been used by the U.S. that has led to the elimination of numerous al-Qaeda fighters and their allies. Moreover, top al-Qaeda operatives have been killed through drone strikes further crippling the force.

However, such inducements, instead of increasing U.S-Pakistan relations, have worsened them. The 1.5 billion dollar aid not amount to success. This is because Pakistan has continued to provide refuge to the Taliban since the Taliban do not affect the country’s interests. Consequently, the U.S has also contributed to the aid’s failure be secretly negotiating with Taliban representatives in other foreign countries leaving Pakistan out of the talks. The Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) has however, been successful despite concerns from the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the BIT and uncertainties instigated by the U.S regarding the costs charged by the Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP). The military support, using drones, has led to the condemnation of the U.S by the United Nations and the Pakistani Government. The drone strikes have led to the deaths of innocent civilians, most of them being women and children (“Pakistan Today”, 2012). Despite these remarks, the military has supported the use of drones provided they target the terrorist insurgents.

The U.S and Pakistan are both at fault for creating political upheavals and increased terrorist activities that have further created unstable relations between the two countries. Borrowing from Kriesberg (2012), in order for the conflicts to be resolved amicably, it is necessary for both countries to cease manifesting their own interests and focus on the incentives associated with good relationships between countries.

References

Daily Times, (2012, August 31). BoI steps towards Pak-US investment treaty despite concerns. Retrieved from http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012%5C08%5C31%5Cstory_31-8-2012_pg7_16#.UEAyEr1orwo.email.

Kriesberg & Dayton. (2012). Constructive conflicts: From escalation to resolution. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield.

Pakistan Today, (2012, August 30). US must immediately end drone strikes: Khar. Retrieved from http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2012/08/30/news/national/us-must-immediately-end-drone-strikes-khar/

Shehzad H. Qazi. (2012). U.S – Pakistan Relations, Common and Clashing Interests, World Affairs. Retrieved from http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/us-pakistan-common-and-clashing-relations/

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