The most significant headline for Pakistan in 2025 is undoubtedly the unexpected reset in relations with the United States. Few in Islamabad or across the Atlantic believed that ties could improve under Donald Trump's second presidency, assuming any warmth would be brief and transactional. Even when President Trump publicly praised Pakistan for arresting one of the masterminds behind the Abbey Gate bombing in Kabul, many analysts dismissed it as short-lived. Instead, Pakistan-US relations strengthened. This turnaround becomes even more striking when contrasted with President Joe Biden's administration. Pakistan was sidelined, with minimal high-level engagement and a near-freeze in dialogue. But within the first few months of Trump's presidency, he met Pakistan's army chief twice and also held a formal meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif — the first such engagement in six years.

The brief but intense Pakistan-India military crisis in May played a critical role in this reset. Washington closely........

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