Why US needs to make nice with Pakistan?

Nominated US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has said that Pakistan is a key state to enhance regional stability.

In his statement, Austin said that if he gets confirmed as Pentagon Chief, he will focus on the shared interests which include training future Pakistan military leaders through the use of International Military Education and Training funds.

Joe Biden’s pick for Pentagon said that Pakistan will play an important role in any political settlement in Afghanistan. He added that US also need to work with Pakistan to defeat the militants threatening the regional peace.

The nominated US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin observed Pakistan as an essential partner in any peace process in Afghanistan. He said that he will encourage a regional approach that garners support from neighbors like Pakistan and also deter regional actors from serving as spoilers to the Afghanistan peace process.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi earlier shared his views about Pakistan’s future relationship with the US under a Biden administration.

Qureshi believes that Biden will have a different approach than Trump, saying the incoming administration would, “prefer negotiations over confrontation” with Pakistan, according to Pakistan media.

According to Qureshi a Biden administration will help soften relations between the US and Pakistan that have been damaged under Trump.

For years, the close ties between the US and Pakistan have been sustained by Pakistan’s substantial contribution to the “war on terror” in Afghanistan.

Media reports said that while Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan have attempted to reset ties between the two countries, Trump’s capriciousness has failed to bring the relationship back to the amity that defined it with previous administrations.