Issued in November this year, the National Security Strategy of the United States (US) revolves around one point: protect the US through controlling the border. That is, by controlling the border, the US can protect itself not only from invasions caused by unchecked migration but also from cross-border threats such as terrorism, drugs, espionage and human trafficking. In the control of the border lies the guarantee for the survival of a sovereign republic.

In the whole document describing the National Security Strategy of the US, the word “terrorism” is mentioned as a cross-border threat. However, no region is mentioned as a source of terrorism. There is no mention of any country (such as Pakistan) immersed in counter-terrorism operations left unattended by the US. The whole document gives no hint of the purpose of the US forces which stayed in Afghanistan for two decades (2001-2021).

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The document gives the impression that the touted global “war on terror” is over. This kind of impression is in line with the general approach of the US, which needs Pakistan only to curb terrorism inside the territory of Pakistan and in the neighbourhood especially in Afghanistan. With that, the space for Pakistan’s relevance is indicated as both limited and directed in the eyes of the US. Contrary to recent past US strategies, which necessarily focused on al-Qaeda (in Afghanistan) or the Islamic State (in Iraq), the current strategy makes no such mention, thereby giving the impression that such kinds of........

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