Pakistan Reader# 701, 19 December 2023
Femy Francis
On 11 December, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Asim Munir visited Washington meeting high-profile US government officials, Secretary of State Antony J Blinken, Secretary of Defence (Rtrd) General Llyod J Austin, Deputies of Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Victoria Nuland and Jonathan Finer amongst others. The visit aimed to rekindle their strained and stagnant relationship by finding common ground on bilateral security interests on regional and global levels. Asim Munir is the first to visit the US in eight years and hopes to smoothen ties with its estranged partner.
Mutual Interests
The revival of their friendship and cooperation is based on finding common ground of benefit and concerns and that is precisely what COAS Munir focused on. The discussion was largely based on three major themes: Security/terrorism, Afghan “illegal” immigrant “repatriation” and boosting economic collaborations.
On Security/ Terrorism
They mutually agreed that countering terrorism and defence collaboration are their core areas of cooperation. They asserted the need to increase interaction where COAS Munir said: “Understanding each other’s perspectives on regional security issues and developments affecting strategic stability in South Asia.” Munir especially highlighted the issue of Kashmir and stressed the need to resolve the contention following relevant international law and with the help of UNSC resolutions. Both countries also shared their mutual concerns for Afghanistan-based terror groups, especially with the rising activity of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Pakistan.
Repatriation of “Illegal Immigrants”
The month of November saw the “voluntary” repatriation of several undocumented immigrants staying in Pakistan owing to growing security concerns within the country. This move gathered heavy international criticism and the visit also sought to ease the American concerns that the Afghan immigrants in Pakistan who worked with the US military would not go back to Afghanistan. Munir also aims to seek collaboration on humanitarian aid for the repatriated Afghan immigrants.
Boosting trade and economy
Munir points out that the US is the largest export market for Pakistan constituting 21.5 per cent of their total exports and that they contribute significantly to the Pakistan economy. While this year saw a major economic crisis, the US still stands to be the top export destination with USD 1,376.125 million worth of trade which is 17 per cent less than last year. It is interesting to observe that regardless of the growing Chinese presence and the increased China and CPEC collaborations, the US still stands to be the top export destination followed by China and the UK.
Pakistani Diaspora- Special attention was given to the strong Pakistani diaspora present in the US where Munir stressed the paramount importance of the international community for Pakistan. He said: “Pakistani diaspora anywhere around the world is held in high regard as they are ambassadors of Pakistan and contribute significantly to Pakistan in varying domains.” He expressed his content with Pakistani communities’ effort to further the country and separately appreciated the contributions made by Tanveer Ahmed for donating USD 9 million for IT development in the country.
The visit comes at a crucial juncture where Pakistan is facing general elections and the interim government has taken some drastic policy steps, unlikely of a caretaker government with several speculations that couldn’t be done without the approval of the omnipresent military’s acceptance. Imran Khan's popularity continues to remain strong amid a crackdown that was supported by the military. The visit aims to build confidence not only with the US but to showcase his overarching influence back home as the general election comes closer.
References
“General Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), COAS called on key US Government and Military officials,” ISPR, 15 December 2023
Iftikhar Shirazi, “COAS meets top US officials, stresses understanding each others’ perspectives on regional security,” Dawn, 15 December 2023
“Gen Asim Munir’s US trip has limited benefits—Pakistan knows what it must do for money, ties,” The Print, 19 December 2023
Michael Kugelman, “Pakistan’s Army Chief Comes to Washington,” Foreign Policy, 13 December 2023
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