Hostage release helps mend ties
islamabad — The freeing of a hostage United States-Canadian family by Pakistan’s army has been hailed by officials as a positive step in mending ties between Washington and Islamabad, but those hoping for a fresh start in their fraught relationship seem likely to be disappointed.
Pakistan and the United States have for years been — at best — uneasy allies in the war against the Taleban and other extremists.
US President Donald Trump said the raid that rescued American Caitlan Campbell, her Canadian husband Joshua Boyle and their three young children showed that Pakistan had started to “respect the United States again” in response to his administration’s tough-talking tactics.
But the two countries still have conflicting interests — and the Trump administration’s vow to apply more diplomatic pressure on Pakistan is unlikely to work, given Islamabad’s growing alliance with regional heavyweight China, say analysts.
“This is a small occurrence between Pakistan and the US, and it should not be confused with the big issues that separate Pakistan and the US,” said Pakistani security analyst Imtiaz Gul.
Some saw the timing as a goodwill gesture ahead of upcoming visits by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defence Secretary Jim Mattis.
“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this hostage release was announced when you have a parade of top Trump administration officials in Islamabad to deliver strongly worded warnings to Pakistan,” said Michael Kugelman, a South Asia specialist at the Woodrow Wilson Centre. He added that no one should take the good news as a definite sign that Pakistan would drastically change its behaviour towards militants.
“Going after hostages is not the same thing as going after the terrorists holding them,” he said.
The US has repeatedly accused Pakistan of not doing enough to eliminate militant havens. For now, officials on both sides are talking
this is a small occurrence between Pakistan and the uS, and it should not be confused with the big issues that separate Pakistan and the united States. Imtiaz Gul, a security analyst
up the cooperation on display in Wednesday’s rescue operation, when Pakistani troops acting on a US intelligence tip-off swooped on a vehicle carrying the hostages.
The Trump administration’s recent talk of a “regional strategy” for Afghanistan that would include a bigger role for India has deeply upset Pakistan’s establishment, said Mosharraf Zaidi, an Islamabadbased commentator and former Pakistan Foreign Ministry adviser. “It seems like for the US, and President Trump has said so, that India is going to be a big part of the future of Afghanistan, and for Pakistan that’s not on the table,” Zaidi said.
“Given that people understand that respect for America is a big deal for Trump and a big deal for the American people, it shouldn’t be so hard to understand why Pakistan ... also wants to be respected,” said Zaidi. —