US-Pakistan Relations under Biden Administration (2021-2024): An Analysis of the Shifts in US Policies towards Pakistan

Abstract

This research examines the pattern of U.S.-Pakistan ties under President Biden (2021–2024) and pays attention to shifts in the U.S. foreign policy toward Pakistan in this timeframe. After cooperation at times and strife at others, the relationship has reacted to new geopolitical developments, particularly the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. The Biden administration is not focusing primarily on security, but on stability in the region, terrorism, climate change, economic growth and promoting democracy. Critical assessment in this research looks at changes such as Pakistan’s fading role in U.S. strategy, Washington connecting more with India to resist China and Pakistan strengthening its alliances with China and Russia. In addition, the paper outlines the problems caused by lower military and financial aid, less high-level diplomatic contact and U.S. worries over Pakistan’s human rights, free press and deteriorating democracy. It also reviews Pakistan’s handling of these changes such as modifying its foreign policy goals and greater attention to multilateral and regional activities. The analysis is based on official words, papers and research by experts who reveal how the Biden administration is now choosing particular cooperative topics instead of a general strategic alliance with Pakistan. It finds that the relationship between the U.S. and Pakistan, although not destroyed, is now based on fewer trusts and more on acts of utility, watchfulness and terms shaped by worldwide shifts in power. The research takes part in the wider debate about U.S. foreign policy and the geopolitics of South Asia by analyzing how international priorities affect the relationship between the United States and South Asian countries in a world with more than two major powers.