New Delhi, India: The United States and Pakistan are rebuilding a relationship that had lost much of its strategic importance in Washington, and the renewed engagement is being watched closely in New Delhi.
The shift is visible across several areas. Washington and Islamabad held their fourth counterterrorism dialogue in Washington on August 4, where both sides discussed cooperation against groups including ISIS-Khorasan, al-Qaeda, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and the Balochistan Liberation Army. The two governments also discussed border security and efforts to disrupt militant networks.
Economic ties are also being pushed forward. Pakistan is seeking greater US investment in areas including minerals and surgical instruments as the two countries negotiate a new reciprocal trade agreement. Pakistan’s goods trade with the United States reached $8.7 billion in 2025, according to Pakistani officials cited by Arab News.
For India, the development matters because Washington’s relationship with Islamabad has historically been closely connected to South Asian security. India and the United States have developed a much broader strategic partnership over the past two decades, particularly around defence, technology, trade and the Indo-Pacific. At the same time, Pakistan remains an important security actor because of its geography and its links to Afghanistan, Iran and the wider Gulf region.
The latest signals from Washington have also brought Kashmir back into the diplomatic conversation. US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor recently visited Srinagar and described Jammu and Kashmir as an important part of India. Pakistan protested the remarks and summoned the acting head of the US mission in Islamabad, according to reports.
The apparently mixed picture is significant. On one side, Washington is expanding practical cooperation with Pakistan in counterterrorism and trade. On the other, a senior US diplomatic representative in India has made a statement that aligns with New Delhi’s position on Jammu and Kashmir.
That suggests the US relationship with Pakistan should not necessarily be read as a return to the old strategic partnership that defined earlier decades. Washington today has several competing interests in South Asia and beyond, and its engagement with Islamabad is shaped by immediate security, economic and regional calculations.
Pakistan, for its part, appears keen to turn the renewed relationship into something broader than security cooperation. Islamabad is seeking American investment and trade while presenting itself as a potential partner in regional stability.
For India, the question is therefore less about whether Washington is talking to Islamabad and more about what kind of relationship eventually emerges.
The answer could influence the balance of power in South Asia, particularly as India continues to pursue a foreign policy built around maintaining strong relationships with multiple major powers rather than depending on any single bloc.
For now, Washington and Islamabad are testing the possibilities of a closer relationship. New Delhi will be watching how far that relationship develops and in which direction.
