ORF says US Pak engagement on military poses major challenge for India
By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – Executive Director of the Observer Research Foundation America, Dhruva Jaishankar, on Thursday told US lawmakers that US renewed engagement with Pakistan’s military leadership has emerged as a major strategic concern for India.
He made these observations during a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on South and Central Asia titled “The US-India Strategic Partnership: Securing a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.”
Dhruva Jaishankar said, “The second challenge for India relates to the United States’ renewed engagement with Pakistan’s military leadership. Pakistan has a long and well-documented history of using non-state terrorist proxies against India. Over the years, India’s experience has been that third-party mediation often contributes to Pakistan’s adventurism.”
“The United States has traditionally pursued a policy of de-hyphenation—engaging with both India and Pakistan while minimizing involvement in their disputes. There remains considerable potential for future cooperation if differences over trade and Pakistan can be effectively managed,” he added.
The concerns have been flagged after two significant visits by Pakistan’s Army Chief, General Asim Munir to the United States in mid-2025, first in June and then in August, signaling a renewed phase of military and diplomatic engagement between Washington and Islamabad.
India’s Operation Sindoor, launched in response to the Pakistan-based terror attack in Pahalgam.
He said that the back-to-back trips unusual for a Pakistani military leader, points to a growing convergence as the US recalibrates its regional priorities. During the visits, Munir held high-level meetings with senior American defence officials, including discussions at the Pentagon on counter-terrorism cooperation, regional security and military modernization.
Jaishankar’s remarks also coincided with Washington’s decision to inject substantial investment into Pakistan’s critical minerals sector.
US Export-Import Bank approved USD 1.25 billion in financing to support the development of the Reko Diq minerals project in Balochistan.
Natalie A. Baker, Charge d’Affaires ad interim at the US Embassy in Islamabad, in a video message posted on X said the Trump administration had made such commercial partnerships central to its diplomatic strategy.
“I’m pleased to highlight that the US Export-Import Bank recently approved financing of USD 1.25 billion to support the mining of critical minerals at Reko Diq in Pakistan,” she said.
Baker added that the EXIM financing would support “up to USD 2 billion in high-quality US mining equipment and services needed to build and operate the Reko Diq mine,” while generating an estimated 6,000 jobs in the United States and 7,500 jobs in Balochistan.
He called Reko Diq a “model mining project,” she said it would benefit US exporters as well as local Pakistani communities by boosting employment and economic growth.
