PRESIDENT TRUMP'S POLICIES TOWARDS PAKISTAN: A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS

Abstract

This paper looks at President Donald Trump's plans and the effect they had on U.S.-Pakistan ties during his time in office from 2017 to 2021. The link between the two countries has usually been tricky; it has had geopolitics, trade, and safety issues shape talks between the nations. In Donald Trump's time, the policy saw some changes and shifts in relations, showing the deal-making approach that aimed for quick wins for America's ease over other longer-term partnerships.

Politically, this bold support for India by Trump after the defense pacts and confirming India's leading role in the Indo-Pacific widened the security concerns of Pakistan and,  thereby, compelled Islamabad to deepen its ties with China and Russia. The suspension of nearly $900 million in U.S. security aid further strained diplomatic relations and locked Pakistan into diversifying its alliances. Economically, this reduced U.S. aid involuntarily made Pakistan depend more on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which would likely foster long-term dependency at the expense of short-term relief. Joint trade did increase, and Pakistan's carries to the U.S. were improving, reflecting a truly casual economic interdependence. In security terms, the Trump administration took a hostile approach in accusing Pakistan of harboring terrorists and subzero military aid.

Yet, this indeed was the proof of strategic engagement in regional stability—from which duality the complexities of the U.S.-Pakistan security relationship were underscored. The overarching implications of the policies of Trump, therefore, sipped into the domain of regional solidity in South Asia, power and geopolitical reshaping. They were policies devised as tests for Pakistan but simultaneously an opportunity to reform foreign policy and strategic partnerships. This paper of reconsidering analysis draws together lessons from the era of Trump, indicating a need for balanced and cooperative approaches to support U.S.-Pakistan relations and regional stability in what is rapidly becoming a volatile multipolar world. The paper thus stresses trust-building measures and mutual respect as the replacements for a durable bilateral partnership.