US Donald Trump’s treatment of Islamabad has baffled some of the sharpest analysts. The most oft-repeated question is how can a country that harboured Osama Bin Laden become a friend to the US?
Veteran journalist and founder of Editorji, Vikram Chandra, said the credit really goes to Islamabad for no country can play Washington like they can. “No country on the planet knows how to play the US better than Pakistan,” he said in a post on social media.
He drew parallels between the treatment of Pakistan and India. While India has been penalised, Pakistan has been rewarded for the same decisions. “Penal tariff rates on India for buying some of its oil and arms from Russia. Pakistan literally runs its entire economy and defence as a Chinese satellite,” he said.
Just when the tariff wars began US and China imposed tariff rates upwards of 100 per cent on each other. However, Beijing’s rare earths move brought Washington to the negotiation table. After weeks of tit-for-tat tariffs and the rare earths threat, both sides called for a truce and seek an extension of their 90-day tariff pause.
“‘Don’t be a member of BRICS’ threats to the rest of the world. Pakistan is China’s closest ally. No problem,” said Chandra. Again, Pakistan’s closest ally China, is a core member of the BRICS bloc, which Trump has accused of indulging in ‘anti-American’ activities as well as attempting to de-dollarise. Neither Pakistan nor China has faced the tune like India has so far.
“Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan get bombed for terror links. Osama Bin Laden is literally found in Pakistan. No consequences. Iran gets bombed for trying to build a nuclear weapon. Pakistan does go nuclear, and also proliferates nukes across the world. All is good,” he said, referring to Washington’s biased behaviour dictated by its own convenience.
“I’m in genuine awe. Pakistan should run management seminars on how to pull this off. It could make billions of dollars,” he said in an apparent jibe.
Trump also announced a partnership with Pakistan to explore their “massive oil reserves”, a day after slapping India with a 25 per cent tariff and warning of penalties over its continued trade with Russia. In an unwarranted jibe, Trump also said, “We have just concluded a Deal with the Country of Pakistan, whereby Pakistan and the United States will work together on developing their massive Oil Reserves. Who knows, maybe they’ll be selling Oil to India some day!”
He also called the Indian economy – which grew far faster than the US’ – “dead”, despite which the Indian side has said that they would not retaliate and would decide everything at the negotiation table. Meanwhile, both US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have separately, on different occasions, mentioned that Trump and his team are frustrated with the Indian side.
Both Rubio and Bessent seem to suggest that buying sanctioned Russian oil, which costs India far less than its alternatives, is a point of contention between New Delhi and Washington. The US also wants India to open up its agriculture and dairy sectors, which New Delhi has vehemently resisted.
