The changing landscape of the Pakistan-U.S. alliance in the global war on terror in the post-9/11 era (2011-2019)

Following the aftermath of the 9/11 event, the Pakistan-U.S. alliance in the Global War on Terror (GWoT) was established. The reasons behind the willingness of the U.S. government to forge this alliance is premised on Pakistan’s geostrategic position, proximity to Afghanistan, and affiliation with Taliban. Pakistan had played an important role as a frontline ally for the U.S.-led GWoT in combating and marginalizing the role and influence of the Taliban, al-Qaeda leaders and their affiliates. While the alliance in the early years of its formation was arguably stable, it started to undergo a profound transformation when the U.S. suspected Pakistan of supporting terrorist groups. Consequently, the U.S. started to launch military operations in the Pakistani territory in 2011 without Pakistan’s authorization. Such unilateral actions demonstrated the U.S.
distrust of Pakistan; whereas Pakistan considered these actions as a serious infringement of its sovereignty and territorial sanctity. Their bilateral alliance was severely ruptured by the military operations, bringing their partnership at an all-time low. Therefore, this study aims to examine the changing landscape of the Pakistan-U.S. alliance in the GWoT. It has three main objectives. The first objective is to identify and assess the characteristics associated with the changing landscape of the Pakistan-U.S. alliance. Secondly, the study examines the driving factors contributing to the changing landscape of the alliance. This study further analyzes the response and perception of Pakistan and the U.S. to the changing landscape of their alliance. The period covered in this study is 2011 to 2019. This study adopts qualitative methods. The obtained data, primary and secondary data, were thematically analyzed. The neo-classical realism and balance of threat are used as the theoretical framework for this study. The findings show that the landscape of the Pakistan-U.S. alliance has experienced significant changes in terms of military cooperation, economic aids, and diplomatic supports. Such changes were driven by internal and external factors. These changes subsequently influenced alliance partners’ behaviors in terms of their response and perception. Finally, this study recommends that the revitalization of this alliance can be beneficial to both countries’ security, and regional and global security.