Timeline of US PAK relations

US PAK relations

United States of America remains one of the first countries to have established diplomatic ties with Pakistan. Although the relationship dates back to October 20, 1947, it can be extrapolated that the relations have been based strictly on military and economic support.

US PAK relations Pre 9/11:1950-1953

Pakistan’s first prime minister, Liaquat Ali Khan visited United States to meet president Harry S Truman.

It is alleged that during PM Khan’s first visit to US, president Truman requested Pakistan’s premier to let the CIA formulate a base in Pakistan, strictly to keep an eye on the activities of Soviet Union

In 1954, Pakistan signed Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement with the United States in May.

Establishment of a Military Assistance Advisory Group (Maag) in Rawalpindi.

In 1956, President Dwight Eisenhower requested prime minister Suhrawardy to lease Peshawar Air Station to the American Army for keeping an eye on soviet Union and its ballistic missile program.

1960s

During the decade, the pro-American sentiments in Western side of Pakistan were at an all time high.

Ayub Khan allowed United States to fly spy mission to Soviet Union from Pakistan’s territory.

United States increased the amount of aid Pakistan was designated to receive from the consortium of Pakistan, half a billion dollars of which were lost in 1965’s Indo-Pakistan war.

1971-1974

During 1971’s war, US is speculated to have provided Pakistan with arms and military aid, in order to discourage India from penetrating further into the cities of Pakistan.

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was elected as the president of Pakistan and later on became the prime minister in 1974.

Although Bhutto was considered a socialist, he was a close and respected friend of president Nixon, which went in Pakistan’s favour.

1976-1979: President Jimmy Carter, an anti-socialist,

won the presidential election of US and announced to seek a ban on nuclear weapons.

President Carter and his administration allegedly threatened Bhutto to disrupt the process of atomic proliferation and research

1979-1988:

During Zia ul Haq’s regime, Pakistan and United States enjoyed a warm and congenial relationship, United States granted billions of dollars to Pakistan in the name of military and economical aid.

1981, Pakistan was discussing a $3.2-billion aid package with United States and in 1987 Pakistan became the second largest recipient of aid after Israel.

Congress adopted Pressler amendment

In 1990, US under the Pressler amendment, imposed sanctions on Pakistan, as the country by then had lost its strategic importance in soviet war.

In 1992, US and Pakistan relations plummeted further when US ambassador Nicholas Platt, warned Pakistan.

1995, Benazir Bhutto visited United States and requested president Bill Clinton to lift the embargoes on Pakistan and launch a joint operation to eradicate militancy from the region.

$368 million of military equipment purchased but not received by Pakistan before the imposition of Pressler amendment sanctions in 1990, was passed; however, the sanctions on arms were not lifted.

In 1998, Prime minister Nawaz Sharif conducted nuclear test in Balochistan, in retaliation to similar tests conducted by India.

President Clinton imposed sanctions under Glenn amendment on India as well as Pakistan.

Glenn amendment included suspension of aid, including economic development assistance, credits and credit guarantees by the US government, US bank loans to the governments of India and Pakistan, loans from international financial institutions, such as the IMF and World Bank, and exports of dual-use nuclear or missile items.

in July of 1998, US lifted the sanctions on both the countries for purchasing agricultural products from US farmers. Later in the year President Clinton exercised his waiver on lifting restrictions on the activities of US banks in Pakistan.

Pak US relations after 9/11 In 2001, after the 9/11 attacks and US’s invasion in

various countries to eradicate militancy, Pakistan became one of the most important strategic allies for United States.

President Pervez Musharraf confessed that the country had no option but to support United States as it had threatened Pakistan of “bombing it into stone age” if it did not join the fight against al Qaeda.

A bill to lift all the sanctions, previously imposed on Pakistan under Pressler and Glenn amendments.

2003, United States officially forgave $1 billion worth of loan it had granted to Pakistan in a goodwill gesture and appreciation for Pakistan’s cooperation.

2004, President George Bush officially declared Pakistan as a non-Nato ally granting it the authority to purchase strategic and advanced military equipments.

Since 2004, US army has launched various drone strikes on the north-western side of the country.

Large civilian deaths and caused much opposition from Pakistanis.

2007, A report was issued in which Pakistan was accused of using aid money provided by US to Pakistan for its cooperation on war on terror, for strengthening its defense against India.

In the June of 2008, an air strike by the US Army killed 11 paramilitary soldiers of Pakistan Army Frontier Corps, along with eight Taliban.

The strike and deaths instigated a fierce reaction from Pakistani command calling the act to have shaken the foundations of mutual trust and cooperation.

2009, President Musharraf confessed that the billions of dollars of aid that Pakistan received from United States were diverted and channeled in order to build better defense mechanism against India.

The famous Kerry-Lugar Bill, which invited much controversy and criticism, was passed in the October of 2009.

In 2010, Pakistan Army in a joint operation with US intelligence agencies captured Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, a famous Taliban commander, from the tribal belt of Pakistan.

In the beginning of 2011, Raymond Davis, a CIA agent in Pakistan killed two Pakistani men in Lahore, claiming that they came to rob him.

In the May of 2011, Osama bin Laden was killed in an operation conducted by US Navy Seals in Abbottabad

Pakistani government ordered US army to evacuate Salala air base which was being used to launch offensive on Taliban and militants and also halted Nato supplies for United Sates.

Since the beginning of 2012, various political parties along with the military command of the country, met and held discussions on restoring Nato supplies.

On May 18, US lawmakers in the House of Representatives debating the National Defence Authorization Act voted 412-1 for an amendment that could block up to $650 million in proposed payments to Pakistan unless Islamabad lets coalition forces resume shipment of war supplies across its territory.

President Zardari arrived in Washington on May 19 to attend the NATO summit in Chicago. However, both the countries were unable to strike a conclusive deal on the restoration of NATO supplies as the summit ended.

Highlights Of the US aid to PAK US economic assistance to Pakistan peaked in 1962, at over

$2.3bn In 2010, military assistance to Pakistan totaled $2.5bn - including

$1.2bn in coalition support funds US assistance to Pakistan reached its lowest level in the 1990s,

after President George H.W. Bush suspended aid flows over Pakistan's emerging nuclear program.

US military assistance dropped dramatically during and immediately after the Indo-Pakistani wars of 1965 and 1971

In the 1970s, President Carter suspended all aid to Pakistan (except food aid) in response to Pakistan's decision to construct a uranium enrichment facility

Although US assistance (both economic and military) to Pakistan has fluctuated considerably over the last 60 years, it has risen steadily since 2001.

since 1948, the US has sent more than £30bn in direct aid to the country.

Summary of US aid to Pakistan 1948-2010

http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/poverty-matters/2011/jul/11/us-aid-to-pakistan

Year Economic Assistance, TotalEconomic Assistance (through

USAID) Military Assistance, Total Coalition Support Funds

Note: All figures are in US$ (millions). Figures are adjusted for inflation and presented in 2009 constant dollars

Source: Wren Elhai, Center for Global Development, 2011

1948 0.77 0 0  

1949 0 0 0  

1950 0 0 0  

1951 2.89 0 0  

1952 74.25 73.55 0  

1953 748.29 286.23 0  

1954 156.95 152.24 0  

1955 733.15 477.18 266  

1956 1065.67 700.89 1086.5  

1957 1079.65 619.9 437.59  

1958 968.22 589.59 533.13  

1959 1367.93 985.25 366.81  

1960 1689.84 1181.35 230.39  

1961 989.53 780.04 260.47  

1962 2334.65 1446.28 549.02  

1963 2066.77 1063.68 292.31

1964 2222.66 1334.16 187.55

1965 1928.9 1041.58 77.38

1966 816.28 691.28 8.4

1967 1213.36 719.38 26.33

1968 1501.68 672.5 25.98

1969 541.76 504.31 0.5

1970 968.32 570.93 0.87

1971 474.25 31.21 0.73

1972 692.87 261.87 0.42

1973 715.35 387.63 1.24

1974 381.97 219.13 0.95

1975 614.34 326.02 0.92

1976 644.1 336.78 1.28

1977 319.16 209.4 0.92

1978 214.92 55.49 1.52

1979 128.81 23.31 1.2

1980 137.53 0 0

1981 164.16 0 0

1982 400.6 200.07 1.2

Year Economic Assistance, TotalEconomic Assistance (through USAID)

Military Assistance, Total Coalition Support Funds

1983 534.18 383.29 499.77  

1984 568.05 415.84 555.9  

1985 607.26 447.53 583.53  

1986 623.56 460.91 545.82  

1987 599.07 469.53 534.54  

1988 769.14 635 430.69  

1989 559.72 421.27 367.06  

1990 548.07 422.37 283.44  

1991 149.59 141.78 0  

1992 27.14 0.57 7.2  

1993 74.19 7.98 0  

1994 68.43 0 0  

1995 23.13 10.1 0  

1996 22.79 0 0  

1997 57.17 0 0  

1998 36.32 0 0  

1999 102.14 6.72 0.22  

2000 45.72 0 0  

2001 228.02 0.54 0  

2002 937.34 744.74 1739.7 1386.06

2003 377.93 284.81 1760.23 1450.98

2004 406.12 316.56 891.39 794.11

2005 490.42 374.04 1397.06 1050.15

2006 689.43 488.46 1246.1 916.13

2007 688.62 498.91 1079.72 755.74

2008 614.48 392.05 1378.32 1014.9

2009 1353.65 1076.25 1114.26 685

2010 1867.13 1529.53 2524.61 1220.5