The recently concluded strategic dialogue between Pakistan and the United States was hailed as the dawn of “a new day” after “years of misunderstanding” by the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. This was the first round in the series of strategic dialogue between the two countries to be held at the ministerial level. The two countries were represented by the likes of their respective Chiefs of Staffs of the uniformed forces along with the Foreign Minister/Secretary of State and Defense Minister/Secretary of Defense, among others. The past three dialogues that took place under the Bush administration were not at the ministerial level. The significance of this dialogue is that key issues relating to defense, terrorism, Afghanistan, strengthening the economy and democratic institutions in Pakistan, were discussed.

The major outcomes of this round of strategic talks was that Pakistan would be getting a delivery of a number of high tech military hardware like the F-16 fighter jets, helicopter gunships, navel frigates and the unmanned aerial aircrafts for surveillances. This is apart form a sizable economic assistance for developmental projects like construction of roads in the frontier regions. Along with this, the issues of reimbursement of US$2 billion by US to Pakistan towards it efforts on the war on terror also figured in the dialogue.  Apart from these issues, the Pakistani delegation failed in their pitch for an Indian style nuclear deal.

The broad range of issues had mixed results with the two sides sharing their respective points of views. This dialogue is to be followed up in Islamabad in another six months. The key purpose of this dialogue could be to lay a road map for the bilateral relations and ensure regional security in the event the US forces withdraw from Afghanistan. This is due to the fact that the US is least popular with the people of Pakistan and quite a few of them view the US as an unreliable ally. The total withdrawal of American interest in the region, post the Afghanistan war (Soviet invasion of Afghanistan) is seen as a benchmark. Pakistan is now considered very crucial in the stability of Afghanistan.

Significant aspects of this dialogue were that the US has been able to de-hyphenate its relationship with Pakistan and India with considerable success despite the tensions in this region. This can be seen in the US’s non commitment to openly assent to Pakistan’s request for Washington’s involvement in resolving the Kashmir dispute with India. The current position of America is based upon the need for creating a conducive environment in the region, to facilitate their withdrawal from Afghanistan. Along with this, Washington is also working towards creating a stable environment and to ensure that anarchy does not prevail in Afghanistan as it did in the past. This also includes, assenting to the demands that are put forth by Islamabad in curtailing the Indian presence in Afghanistan which will ensure that India does not envelope Pakistan.

To predict the outcome of this strategic dialogue process at this moment would be premature as it is a link in a series of bilateral talks between Pakistan and United States. But the best that one can do is to visualize the direction that this dialogue could take. The short term objective of the US would be to find an honourable exit from the war in Afghanistan and to ensure the stability of the region, free from terrorism, whereas for Pakistan it is a means to a greater end, which is to build parity with India in almost all possible spheres apart from furthering its strategic objectives in the neighborhood. Along with this, Islamabad will not like to face another situation in Afghanistan as it did in the 1990s. Pakistan would prefer a favorable government in Kabul which would not share close ties with India. Thus Pakistan would use the dialogue process to meet these twin strategic needs apart from gaining concessions from the US on economic and military assistances.

This dialogue is very important apart from the reasons that are stated above as it will also provide tangible assistance to Pakistan which would boost its economy and could result in domestic stability. This includes financial assistance that is aimed at improving the basic energy, road infrastructure in NWFP along the Af-Pak region as it could lay the road to normalization in the Pashtun dominated areas along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, the hot bed of the Taliban. The progress on the issue of terrorism will also be reflective of the stability and the formation of government in Kabul. Both these are interlinked with the developments in and along the border and the active participation of Pakistan.

To conclude, the dialogue process could be seen as a measure to bring back Pakistan onboard the Afghan policy of Washington, when Islamabad had a different policy orientation with respect to both the Taliban and Afghanistan as compared to the United States.