Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on January 20. Unlike his predecessor, Donald Trump, who pursued what he called an “America First” foreign policy and attempted to move the US outside the post-WWII multilateral status quo, Biden is expected to have a more traditional approach to foreign affairs, supportive of multilateral organisations and focused on restoring Washington’s international standing and alliances.
So what will this mean for US-Pakistan relations? Biden’s rise to power is unlikely to drastically change the issue-specific and transactional nature of the relationship between the two nations, but it will present Pakistan with opportunities to strengthen its strategic and economic ties with the US – especially as the planned US withdrawal from Afghanistan forces Washington to redefine its interests in the region.
For 20 years, the war in Afghanistan shaped US-Pakistan ties. At a time when this dynamic is expected to change, Biden’s presence in the White House can help the foreign policy establishment in Islamabad forge new partnerships with Washington based on the two nation’s mutual geopolitical and economic interests.
Unlike Trump, Biden knows Pakistan. He travelled to the country several times as vice president. He was one of the principal architects, along with Senator John Kerry of the Kerry-Lugar Berman Act of 2009 that paved the way for the US providing annual civilian assistance of $1.5bn to Pakistan between 2010 and 2014.
But perhaps more importantly, contrary to Trump’s behaviour, Biden is more humane, has greater knowledge of subcontinent, Kashmir included because he was twice vice president and could secure substantial knowledge about India-Pakistan, the tussle between two nuclear neighbours, was voted by American Muslims and blacks as well. Naturally, he will like to repay their debts.
However legal wranglings cause a bit of uncertainty still because of Trump’s refusal to accept Nov 3 results. All things considered, it appears that the most interesting and noteworthy state in the 2020 election cycle is Georgia. It has given us the greatest pre-and post- election drama. It had been a reliable Republican state since the good voters kicked out the racist Democrat regimes that controlled the state since the Civil War.
In 2018, the Peach State nearly elected Stacey Abrams as governor – who incidentally is yet to concede that race to the winner, Governor Brian Kemp. Just saying. Though she lost, the closeness of the race gave hope to Democrats that the State was coming into play as a battleground.
That turned out to be the case in 2020 when Georgia was unofficially declared to be a win for former Vice President Joe Biden – but by a vote margin of fewer than 13,000 votes. Georgia maintains the national spotlight because at the time of this writing, there is a recount being conducted – and it is one state that could reasonably be flipped back to Trump. That alone, however, would not overcome Biden’s current lead in the Electoral College.
As if that were not enough national attention, Georgia is one of those rare instances in which both U.S. Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler were up for election in 2020 – Perdue in the normal re-election cycle and Loeffler in a Special Election after being appointed to fill the seat of Senator Johnny Isakson, who retired due to illness.
To make the situation even more ironic and interesting, according to Georgia election laws, candidates must win a clear majority or face a runoff between the top Republican and the top Democrat. None of the candidates in the General Election reached 50 percent, so a runoff is scheduled for January 5, 2021.
But most pundits appear much more confident than doubtful about Biden’s oath coming January. Lawyers building hopes for Trump’s victory in courts, But Pennsylvania judge has already thrown out Trump’s appeal for a recount. Similar results are more or less expected from other States, where Trump has filed lawsuits against results.
Biden will have to concentrate on solving the four-decade-old problem of Afghanistan, and likewise may have a different view on Iran, where Trump had planned to launch an invasion. In fact, an American fleet was already in Irani waters.
But Biden understands that pulling the remaining a little over 8000 American troops from Afghanistan is essential to devote undivided focus on improving US economy which suffered both by pandemics and faulty policies pursued by Trump. US fleet has to be withdrawn from Iranian waters.
As for Pakistan, Biden’s election and induction in White House will mean if not substantial, at least a little bit of improved ties because Biden in his victory speech referred to sayings of Holy Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), quoted form Hadees, and repeated it again on a second occasion.
That means a lot for his bent towards Muslims. However it remains to be seen whether the issue of Israel’s recognition by Pakistan changes his thinking, but its chances appear slim to most analysts. In short, Biden will be far better for Pakistan than the outgoing President.
