Indo-Us alliance serves the interests of both the parties in the region. US needs a player in Asia to check the growing influence of China which is an all-weather friend of Pakistan.
US support to India in this regard is seen as detrimental to Pakistan’s strategic interests.
India and Pakistan are arch-rivals since the partition of the subcontinent in 1947 so India gets US support in its defense strategies and foreign policy. Both the US and India are implementing the old dictum, “An enemy’s enemy is a friend.” However, US is not in an inimical relationship with Pakistan even after President Donald Trump’s August speech but it cannot be termed as friendly either. It’s more like an alliance to break or weaken a rival alliance i.e. Indo-US vs. Sino-Pak alliance.
Indo-US Alliance:
According to Munir Akram (Former Pakistan Ambassador to the UN), the alliance between India and US include co-production of advanced defense articles, joint research on advanced jet engines and aircraft carrier technologies and strategic cooperation on maritime security. India endorses US stand on South China Sea islands and US supports India on its claims against Pakistan. US under Trump administration seems to be taking the alliance to new heights as Indian PM Narender Modi was the fifth world leader to receive a call from Trump after he took charge of his Presidency on January 20, 2017. That is why; some political thinkers believe that Trump’s rhetoric against Pakistan on Afghanistan strategy speech was actually encouraged by Indian position against Pakistan.
In 2008, US Congress approved nuclear cooperation agreement between India and US which proved to be a turning point in Indo-US alliance. It was an embedded recognition of India as a nuclear power. Pakistan does not seem to be receiving any such deal from US. It is pertinent to note here that both India and Pakistan are non-signatories of Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Moreover, US also supports India’s stance on its membership status in Nuclear Supplier Groups (NSG) which was initiated after India’s alteration of nuclear material of conducting nuclear tests in 1974 from its peaceful program. US support to India in this regard is seen as detrimental to Pakistan’s strategic interests.
This alliance supports India’s belligerent conduct against Pakistan politically and militarily. US also ignores India’s developments of fissile material production, long-range missiles and theatre nuclear weapons and opposes Pakistan’s responses in this regard
Impact of Alliance on Pakistan:
Indo-Us alliance has deleterious impacts on Pakistan. This alliance supports India’s belligerent conduct against Pakistan politically and militarily. US also ignores India’s developments of fissile material production, long-range missiles and theatre nuclear weapons and opposes Pakistan’s responses in this regard. India’s relationships with the Middle Eastern Countries, mainly Saudi Arabia, are also encouraged by the US. These relations impact Pakistan’s foreign policy in the Middle East because of Pakistan’s India centric foreign policy. Furthermore, Pakistan maintains minimum credible deterrence. India’s ability to acquire Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology from US would impact Pakistan’s conventional defense capacity. Last but not the least; Pakistan does not get any support from US in its NSG membership stance. Pakistan, however, has a great potential to be member of NSG.
Muhammad Murad