May 27, 2026 13:47 pm IST

Opinion | Pakistan's Dangerous Dance With America Is Finally Starting To Haunt It

Although Pakistanis have put up a brave face against Trump's Abraham Accords ask, in reality, it puts them in a difficult position at home.

Sushant Sareen Sushant Sareen Columnist

Sushant Sareen Columnist

The Truth Social post of US President Donald Trump linking a peace deal with Iran to six Muslim countries -  including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan - "mandatorily" and "simultaneously" signing on to the Abraham Accords, has sent shockwaves among these nations. No one is sure about how to respond to this new demand by the capricious US president. It isn't even clear if Trump has just put this out there or whether he seriously intends to pursue this tack. Nonetheless, by shifting the goal post, Trump has confronted regional countries with a serious dilemma: if they refuse to sign on to the Abraham Accords, they not only invite Trump's ire but also risk the fraught security situation in the region not being resolved, and maybe even worsening; if they kowtow to Trump, they risk internal disturbances and public anger pouring out onto the streets.

In his post, Trump mentioned eight countries: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain and the UAE. But only the first three in this list are relevant from the point of view of the Abraham Accords. Bahrain and the UAE have already signed on to the deal. Turkey, Egypt and Jordan have diplomatic relations with Israel. Trump has left the possibility of a carve-out for one or two countries that may have a reason for not signing on immediately, and he very 'graciously' said that that would be "accepted". But later, in the same post, he demands "immediate signing by Saudi Arabia and Qatar". This means that the carve-out is really only for Pakistan. But is it? Because Trump then says that if any country doesn't sign on, "they will not be part of this deal in that it shows bad intention".

Pakistan's Many........

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