The United States’ long-standing strategy of favouring India over Pakistan has failed to achieve Washington’s regional objectives, as more than two decades of this policy have neither safeguarded US interests nor fully aligned New Delhi with Washington’s priorities.
An article published in an American magazine, Foreign Affairs, argues that the “United States bet on India, but that bet has not paid off”, warning that India remains both unwilling and unable to align itself with US preferences in the region.
It added that New Delhi has repeatedly fallen short of American expectations, including by adopting a neutral position on Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Calling for a policy rethink, the article urges Washington to “rebalance its commitments in the region” and build closer ties with Pakistan without abandoning its partnership with India.
The report stated that US President Donald Trump had praised Pakistan for its counterterrorism efforts and attempts to reduce tensions with India during cross-border clashes.
It also pointed to recent developments in bilateral engagement, including a deal to maintain low tariffs in exchange for granting US firms exploration rights for untapped oil reserves in Pakistan. Joint ventures in cryptocurrency and the mining of critical minerals are under discussion, the magazine reported.
US investment in Pakistan’s resources sector — including the Reko Diq copper and gold mine — could help stabilise the region, the report said, while warning that a one-sided policy favouring India would “deepen fault lines in South Asia” and increase the risk of conflict.
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