Center for International Strategic Studies Islamabad organized a round table discussion titled “Trump Administration’s Prospective Policy towards Pakistan†on August 03, 2017 in its premises. The purpose of the event was to assess the ongoing debae in the United States regarding the policy review towards South Asia and how it may impact US-Pakistan relations.
The keynote speaker, Dr. Moeed Yusuf, who is an associate vice president of the Asia Center at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington D.C, gave an overview of the current state of US-Pakistan relations and discussed how the Trump administration’s South Asia policy review will impact the existing situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan
Dr Moeed Yusuf was of the view that the ongoing review of United States policy towards South Asia has still not been able to address key questions regarding Afghanistan and reports suggest that the Trump administration is divided over how to deal with Pakistan. Internal squabbling and other domestic issues have delayed the Trump administration’s South Asia policy review process.
Dr Yusuf analyzed the frustration in both US and Pakistan against each other and underscored the importance of maintaining a working relationship to resolve difficult issues in the bilateral relationship.
Dr Yusuf was of the view that there is a lack of convergence on regional security issues between Pakistan and the US and unless there is a clear US strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan is forthcoming with an equally clear sense on how it can support it, this relationship will likely face further roadblocks. He also warned that while both sides may understand the negative consequences of a complete breakdown in ties, undesirable events in either Afghanistan or Pakistan could still lead to a ruptured relationship.
Earlier, Ambassador Ali Sarwar Naqvi welcomed Dr Moeed to the institute and gave his perspective on US-Pakistan relations and the existing regional situation.
The round table was well attended by members of academia, policy makers and former Pakistani diplomats. An interactive question and answer session followed the talk.
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Ali Sarwar Naqvi is Executive Director at the Center for International Strategic Studies (CISS), Islamabad.
