In a press briefing held yesterday, Pentagon Press Secretary and Assistant to the United States (US) Secretary of Defence for Public Affairs John F. Kirby revealed that President Joe Biden has continued the former administration’s policy of keeping security assistance to Pakistan suspended. He also confirmed that there is no certainty if the administration will change its stance in the future.
“At this time, US security assistance to Pakistan is still suspended, and I won’t get into speculating one way or another about if or whether that will change going forward,” Kirby told reporters. He was responding to a question on whether the new Biden administration had reviewed former President Donald Trump’s stance on the matter, and whether this issue was discussed during Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin’s talks with Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Monday.
In January 2018, the US suspended $900 million in aid to Pakistan after Islamabad failed to take action against the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network militant groups. The country was, in fact, accused of enabling them. In September of the same year, the Trump administration once again strengthened measures against the country due to its inaction by suspending a total of $1.66 billion in security assistance.
During the defence leaders’ call yesterday, they discussed “shared regional interests and objectives” and regional security. Austin “reiterated his appreciation for Pakistan’s support for the Afghanistan peace negotiations” and both sides expressed a desire to continue to build on their bilateral relationship. Kirby told reporters that the call “was very useful” and that the two nations have “a range of bilateral opportunities... going forward.”
Today I had the chance to speak with Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa. I reiterated my appreciation for the U.S. – Pakistan relationship and my desire to continue to work together to further regional security and stability. pic.twitter.com/wYq3oLaiNZ
— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) May 24, 2021
A day prior to Austin’s talk with the Pakistani general, US National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan met with Pakistan’s new NSA, Moeed Yusuf, in Geneva, which was the first in-person high-level non-military meeting between the two countries since the Biden administration took office in January.
According to the statement released by the White House, the officials “discussed a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues of mutual interest and discussed ways to advance practical cooperation. Both sides agreed to continue the conversation.”
Pleased to meet US NSA @JakeSullivan46, yesterday. Pakistan and US delegations held positive discussions on bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest. Both sides agreed to continue the conversation to advance cooperation in Pak-US bilateral relations.
— Moeed W. Yusuf (@YusufMoeed) May 24, 2021
These meetings come in the wake of the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan by the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks and with Pakistan agreeing to allow the US to use ground and air routes but only for withdrawal from Afghanistan. This drawdown of troops is expected to create a security vacuum in the war-torn country and could lead to greater destabilisation, which would also negatively affect the security of Kabul’s neighbours. Pakistan has since been attempting to strengthen security ties with Afghanistan in order to prevent any instability from spilling over into its borders.