Why Washington Is Wooing Pakistan

One of the most surprising developments in Washington, if you’re a South Asia-watcher, is the surprising turn in U.S.-Pakistan relations. Having largely sidelined Pakistan over the past decade or more, the current U.S. administration has courted Pakistan with an enthusiasm that has caught many analysts off-guard.

In June, Trump hosted Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir, in the White House. A few weeks later, the White House struck a trade deal with Pakistan that kept the tariff rate at 19 percent, lower even than the 25 percent rate slapped on India. Finally, officials from both sides have been discussing joint ventures in cryptocurrency and critical minerals.

To talk more about the sudden thaw in U.S.-Pakistan ties, Milan is joined on the show this week by Uzair Younus. Uzair is Chief Product Officer at TAG AI, the artificial intelligence-enabled platform developed by The Asia Group.

Prior to joining The Asia Group, Uzair served as Director of the Pakistan Initiative at the Atlantic Council. He’s the host of the podcast, Pakistonomy, a show which gives listeners an accessible way of understanding developments related to the politics, economics, and foreign policy of Pakistan. Uzair is also the author of a new book, Future Ready: Innovation, Abundance And The Global South.

On this week’s show, the two discuss Washington’s quiet reassessment of Pakistan, the Trump administration’s interest in Pakistan’s critical minerals, and the military lessons of Operation Sindoor. Plus, the two discuss the prospects for India-Pakistan rapprochement and the Trump administration’s interest in mediation.

Episode notes:

1. Uzair Younus, “The US Is Rethinking the India-Pakistan Dynamic,” The Diplomat, September 3, 2025.

2. Moeed Yusuf, “Why America Should Bet on Pakistan,” Foreign Affairs, September 11, 2025.

3. “How This India-Pakistan Conflict Will Shape the Next One (with Joshua T. White),” Grand Tamasha, May 21, 2025.

4. “Operation Sindoor and South Asia’s Uncertain Future (with Christopher Clary),” Grand Tamasha, May 14, 2025.

5. “Pakistan's Political Earthquake (with Zoha Waseem),” Grand Tamasha, February 14, 2024.

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