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

Pakistans first prime minister, Liaquat Ali Khan visited United States to meet president Harry S Truman. It is alleged that during PM Khans first visit to US, president Truman requested Pakistans 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 Pakistans 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 1965s Indo-Pakistan war.

1971-1974

During 1971s 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 Pakistans 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 Haqs 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 USs 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 Pakistans 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, Total
Economic 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 1949

0.77 0

0 0

0 0

1950
1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962

0
2.89 74.25 748.29 156.95 733.15 1065.67 1079.65 968.22 1367.93 1689.84 989.53 2334.65

0
0 73.55 286.23 152.24 477.18 700.89 619.9 589.59 985.25 1181.35 780.04 1446.28

0
0 0 0 0 266 1086.5 437.59 533.13 366.81 230.39 260.47 549.02

Year 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982

Economic Assistance, Total 2066.77 2222.66 1928.9 816.28 1213.36 1501.68 541.76 968.32 474.25 692.87 715.35 381.97 614.34 644.1 319.16 214.92 128.81 137.53 164.16 400.6

Economic Assistance (through USAID) 1063.68 1334.16 1041.58 691.28 719.38 672.5 504.31 570.93 31.21 261.87 387.63 219.13 326.02 336.78 209.4 55.49 23.31 0 0 200.07

Military Assistance, Total 292.31 187.55 77.38 8.4 26.33 25.98 0.5 0.87 0.73 0.42 1.24 0.95 0.92 1.28 0.92 1.52 1.2 0 0 1.2

Coalition Support Funds

1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991

534.18 568.05 607.26 623.56 599.07 769.14 559.72 548.07 149.59

383.29 415.84 447.53 460.91 469.53 635 421.27 422.37 141.78

499.77 555.9 583.53 545.82 534.54 430.69 367.06 283.44 0

1992
1993 1994 1995 1996

27.14
74.19 68.43 23.13 22.79

0.57
7.98 0 10.1 0

7.2
0 0 0 0

1997
1998 1999 2000 2001

57.17
36.32 102.14 45.72 228.02

0
0 6.72 0 0.54

0
0 0.22 0 0

2002
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

937.34
377.93 406.12 490.42 689.43 688.62 614.48 1353.65 1867.13

744.74
284.81 316.56 374.04 488.46 498.91 392.05 1076.25 1529.53

1739.7
1760.23 891.39 1397.06 1246.1 1079.72 1378.32 1114.26 2524.61

1386.06
1450.98 794.11 1050.15 916.13 755.74 1014.9 685 1220.5