Former prime minister of Pakistan Imran Khan talked about US-Pakistan relations in an interview on June 21. “It was a lopsided relationship because [the] U.S. felt that they were giving aid to Pakistan; they felt that Pakistan then had to do the U.S.’s bidding… So there was this mistrust between the two countries. And people in Pakistan felt they paid a heavy, heavy price for this relationship. And the U.S. thought Pakistan had not done enough. So in that sense, it was a lopsided relationship.”.

The term “lopsided” is the conclusion of PAK-US relations. The intricate tapestry of their relationship has been commemorated with corporation, conflict, and strategic interest over the past several decades, by periods of intense partnership and deep-rooted mistrust resulting in a complex relationship between the two nations. This relationship is a classic instance of an alliance shaped more by necessity than mutual affinity. As per the initial phase of the relationship, the United States recognized Pakistan’s strategic location in light of its benefit in providing aid to the country.

For Pakistan, the support was instrumental, helping to modernize the military and economy. However, the relationship analyzed in the light of the nation’s perspective, presented by the Gallup poll, showed that the United States is viewed as an enemy rather than a friend by more than 72% of Pakistanis. The favorability of the US majority has ranged from 10% to 23% from 1993 to 2013 for Pakistan. The relationship between the two countries is perplexing, with ups and downs throughout different times.

In the early years, the main motive of the US-Pakistan relations was necessity. At the time of the Cold War, the United States saw Pakistan as a bulwark against the spread of Soviet influence in South Asia. Playing a transactional move influenced by their geopolitical priorities, they joined Pakistan. Pakistan, reviewing India’s close relationship with the Soviet Union, used the Western block led by the United States, considering the nation a powerful ally against India. Pakistan’s alignment with the United States was a strategic move driven........

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