A webinar was held on “Reset of US-Pakistan Relations”, under the auspices of Chairman Ikram Sehgal of Karachi Council on Foreign Relations (KCFR).
Former assistant secretary of state Ambassador Robin Raphel highlighted that Pakistan was an important country and that insufficient support on Afghan issue, and lack of understanding between the two countries, led to the double game narrative. She said that both countries should interact truthfully. The ambassador said that Pakistan is a country with a large human resource with successful entrepreneurs, besides being endowed with a great number of natural resources. She said the country’s potential and its strategic position are very well known by the State Department, and Pakistan must be addressed as such. She said more effort was needed at the higher levels in both governments. She said there was a need to present Pakistan’s softer positive image to the US.
Former ambassador Zamir Akram mentioned that the cornerstone of relationship with US was “national security” and the relationship is tilted in favour of the US (large country).
Michael Kugelman, from Woodrow Wilson International Center, US, feared that the US may have difficulty in a high level of connectivity with Pakistan and its relationship with India may take precedence; however, joint collaboration on the Afghan peace and ISIS issues would remain a source at the high level of connectivity between the two countries.
Furthermore, he said that there was scope in conjoining non-security matters such as climate change, cyber security, clean energy and public health, and through this potential therelationship would improve. Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, former secretary foreign affairs and director general, Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), stated that the P2P relationships are stronger than the G2G, which can play an important role. Concluding, Chairman Ikram Sehgal stated that Pakistan’s role was critical as it has positioned itself as a neutral state in the region viz a viz Iran and Saudi Arabia. There was a need for investment-driven relationships, he said.
