South Asia Investor Review

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's rally drew nearly  30,000 Pakistani-Americans  to Capital One Arena on Sunday, July 21, 2019. It was the largest ever public gathering of any diaspora to welcome a foreign visiting leader in the United States. Earlier record of 18,000 was set by Indian Prime Minister Narendra  Modi's rally  at New York City's Madison Square Garden in 2014. Prime Minister Imran Khan Addressing 30,000 Pakistani-Americans at Capital One Arena in Washington DC Pakistani-Americans' Rally at Capital One Arena: Coming a day prior to the prime minister's  official meetings with President Donald Trump  and the US Congressional leaders, the  30,000 cheering supporters  at Capital One Arena boosted the confidence and the legitimacy of the Pakistani leader in the eyes of the US government leadership in the White House and on Capitol Hill. It also put on full display the increasing numbers and the growing clout of the Pakistani-A...

How much have US-Pakistan ties improved since President Trump's " lies and deceit " tweet on Pakistan? Has Trump completely abandoned the tough Pakistan policy recommended by the 2017  Husain Haqqani-Lisa Curtis  paper? What do the US actions such as backing Pakistan's IMF bailout and BLA terror listing suggest? What should be on top of Imran Khan's agenda when he meets President Trump at the White House on July 22, 2019?  Economy?  Investment? Trade? Energy? Security? FATF? IFI loans? How can the US best help Pakistan? Why has the  Trump administration  changed its Pakistan policy? Does it have anything to do with Afghanistan? How is Pakistan supporting the US-Taliban peace dialogue? Why has US ignored the pro-India Kabul government to move forward with the Taliban? Why has the US agreed to include China and Russia in the efforts to end its  war in Afghanistan ? Azad Labon Kay Sath host Faraz Darvesh discusses these questions with Sabahat Ashr...

Announcing the new US strategy on Afghanistan this week, President Donald Trump singled out "valued partner" Pakistan for increased American pressure to act against "agents of chaos" such as the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network who attack American service members and officials. Trump said this "will have to change, and that will change immediately." He also sought India's help in Afghanistan while ignoring the increased Iranian and Russian involvement in helping the Afghan Taliban. Pakistan's Response to US Pressure: Will Trump's pressure on Pakistan work? Will Pakistanis do the bidding of the new US administration? To answer this question, let us look at the following two quotes: 1.  "The Pakistani establishment, as we saw in 1998 with the nuclear test, does not view assistance -- even sizable assistance to their own entities -- as a trade-off for national security vis-a-vis India".  US Ambassador Anne Patterson, Septe...