The year 2022 was again a watershed for Pakistan-US relations as both countries achieved the milestone of building 75 years of bilateral ties.  This milestone offers a grand opportunity for both sides to reflect on the depth and breadth of the long-standing cooperation between Pakistan and the US.

Over all these years, Pakistan and the  US have made substantial headways in their relationship and built new opportunities in the direction that will further build the already strong ties.

Let us look at overall defining factors and sectors where both states have engaged with each other, and we can see a growth trajectory in the relationships.

High-Level Engagements 

During 2022, several high-level meetings were possible between the two countries officials. There was no summit between Presidents or Prime Ministers; however, there were frequent meetings between the Foreign Minister and Secretary of State.

The first contact was made on May 6th when Secretary Blinken called and spoke to Foreign Minister Bilawal.

During the phone call, Secretary Blinken congratulated Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on the assumption of his Office and expressed the desire to continue strengthening the mutually beneficial Pakistan-U.S. bilateral relationship.

During this phone call, the invitation was also extended to Foreign Minister for Pakistan’s participation in the Ministerial Meeting on Global Food Security in New York on 18 May.

It is important to note that Foreign Minister Bilawal had contact from Washington after nearly eight months since the last meeting was held with FM Shah Mehmood Qureshi on September 24, 2021, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York.

After this phone call,  Foreign Minister Bilawal had the chance to meet Secretary Blinken in New York on the sidelines of the Ministerial meeting on 18th May 2022.

This meeting was a significant milestone in the right direction. Both sides reaffirmed their strong support to each other in extending cooperation on a range of issues, including climate change, trade and investment, and regional peace and security matters.

 

In this significant conversation, both Pakistan and the US exchange views on cooperation on regional peace, counterterrorism, Afghan stability, support for Ukraine, and democratic principles.

The next important contact was made on September 26 2022, when Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met the Foreign Minister and expressed his grief over the loss of lives due to the catastrophic floods in Pakistan.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari deliver remarks at the National Museum of American Diplomacy in Washington D.C. on the 75th anniversary of U.S.-Pakistan relations.

This meeting was made possible between the two sides on the sidelines of the annual general Assembly meeting. Secretary of the state reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to the people of Pakistan, noting the nearly $56.5 million in flood relief and humanitarian assistance provided this year and the additional $10 million in food security assistance announced today.

The Secretary and the Foreign Minister also discussed partnering on food security, economic prosperity, regional stability, and Afghanistan.

The bilateral meeting was a positive and constructive dialogue building on the earlier interaction, especially in May.

This meeting also marked 75 years of US-Pakistan bilateral ties. Foreign Minister Bhutto Zardari, in his remarks, talked about the bilateral ties, floods in Pakistan, regional issues, climate justice, and the need for the US to lead. Overall this was the highlight of the year.

And finally, two foreign ministers made a phone call on December 20th and shared views on mutual interest.

During this call, both sides discussed the US’s support for the people of Pakistan, primarily related to the recovery from the recent floods.  Both sides shared hope for a productive International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan in January and discussed the need for close coordination.

The United States extended its support for Pakistan on the recent loss of lives in the surge of terrorist attacks in Pakistan. The United States continues to support Pakistan as it combats terrorism.

Before the year-end, Foreign Minister Bilawal went to the US from December 14-21. This was an important visit

Foreign Minister’s had extensive multilateral and bilateral engagements in New York and Washington DC.

From December 15-16, the foreign minister was in  New York to host and chair the Ministerial Conference of the G-77 and China, the largest negotiating bloc of developing countries within the UN system.

Foreign Minister was in Washington from December 19 and met high-level government officials, congressional leaders, Pakistani-American businessmen, and community members, engaged with think tanks and the media.

During his official meetings, bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest have been discussed to carry forward the momentum in Pakistan-US bilateral relations, particularly in trade, investment, climate resilience, and economic development.

During his meeting, Foreign Minister Bhutto Zardari shared  Pakistan’s perspective on climate change and briefed his US interlocutors on the damage inflicted by climate-induced floods in Pakistan and the government’s post-flood reconstruction and rehabilitation plan of Pakistan.

In these meetings and engagements, what has been continuously resonating was the desire from both sides to enhance bilateral ties and build them further in the areas of cooperation.

The meeting between the officials, especially the engagements at the foreign ministers level, was an important step toward having continuity in the relationship.

While we visibly see a meeting between the two foreign ministers, it is essential to note that while for the culmination of such arrangements is the entire process of engagement from both sides.

High-Level visits from the US to Pakistan 

There were nearly twelve visits from the US to Pakistan, including high-level officials representing various Executive Branch departments.

There were several members of the Congress, including Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (co-chair of the Pakistan Caucus).

Congresswoman was awarded Hilal E Pakistan for her outstanding contribution towards building Pakistan-US relations over the years as Co-chair of the Pakistan Caucus.

During her presentation, the delegation visited the flood-affected areas, and government officials shared details about the devastation. Apart from this, there were high-level engagements during the visit.

Regular visits of such high officials and representatives are essential to continue engagement with the counterparts.

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia Elizabeth Horst visited Islamabad December 8-9 to discuss U.S. support for Pakistan’s flood recovery with government leaders.

She had productive discussions with Pakistan’s government leaders focused on ongoing U.S.-supported flood-relief efforts and opportunities to grow the long-standing U.S.-Pakistan partnership.

New US Ambassador in Islamabad 

After four years of no full-time Ambassador in Pakistan, the senate confirmed Ambassador David Blome had arrived. He was earlier serving as Ambassador of the US to Tunisia.

Ambassador Blome is a career diplomat, and many analysts considered his arrival as a sense of warmth in Pakistan-US relations.

Ambassador arrived in Pakistan at a time when both states were celebrating their 75 years of togetherness. It was also when Foreign Minister Bilawal visited the US and met Secretary of State Blinken.

Since May, Ambassador Blome has made substantial visits across the country and robustly launched a development and public diplomacy engagements.

 

Pakistan’s  New Ambassador in Washington

Ambassador Masood Khan began serving as Ambassador of Pakistan to the US in 2022 as well. He has replaced Ambassador Asad Majeed Khan, now serving as Foreign Secretary of Pakistan.

Pakistan- US cooperation in Education and Social Well Being 

Ambassador Blome recently met civil society leaders with strong humanitarian relief backgrounds and discussed the  U.S. position that flood recovery efforts should be inclusive and support women, children, persons with disabilities, and other minority groups.

Pakistan and the US have strong partnerships in education cooperation and student exchange programs. The education program is by far one of the largest in the region.

Regular programs like Under graduate and graduate programs, Fulbright and various other important scholarships, Sister 2 Sister Exchange programs, Academy for Women Entrepreneurs, and various other cooperation in the development fields have remained the highlight of 2022.

Pakistan and US has institutional exchange and cooperation programs as well. Recently Ambassador Blome made a visit to Quetta, Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar to various important partner institutions that are partner to USAID programs.

Pakistan-US Cooperation in Energy Sector 

Due to the support from the USAID energy sector assistance program in Pakistan, Mangla Dam, one of the largest Dams in Pakistan, has been rehabilitated.  The dam serves critical roles in managing irrigation, controlling flood waters & supplying the country with reliable, affordable electricity.

Pakistan- US Cooperation Flood Relief and Rehabilitation

The US government has supported Pakistan’s flood relief and rehabilitation efforts by offering 100 million USD. The US supported Pakistan at the United Nations International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan in Geneva.

The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced an additional $30 million in life-saving humanitarian assistance to support people and communities affected by severe flooding in Pakistan.  Pakistan’s government has declared the floods a national emergency, with 66 districts declared to be “calamity hit.”

The United States is also gearing up to support Pakistan at the upcoming UN International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan on January 9 in Geneva.

Pakistan- US Military and Security Cooperation

The US and Pakistan share similar concerns on the issues of security and over several decades, both sides have been consistently engaged in military and security cooperation at various levels. This year in 2022, both sides continued their engagements and made headways in fighting and eliminating the threats against terrorism. US is fully supporting Pakistan in eliminating the threats of terrorism that are growing in the region.

The US has the commitment to work with Pakistan’s military and establishment over several issues at the level of

Recently US State Department approved the possible sale of F-16 aircraft sustainment and related equipment to Pakistan  in a deal valued at up to $450 million.

In the year 2022, this was one of the major military support and approval from the US since 2018. During the administration of Donald Trump, this security assistance to Pakistan was ended. This cooperation and sale has offered a huge booster to Pakistan’s security and has led to the confidence on the relations between both states.

If we review 2022 and see the developments, it is clear that 2022 has remained a happening year in the relations between Paksitan and the US. Both sides had made substantial gains in their cooperation and their is a bright ray of hope for the future for both sides.

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