In an unexpected diplomatic turn, Washington and Islamabad have declared a renewed partnership against terrorism, marking a dramatic shift from the days when the <a title="US" href="https://www.benefitnews24.com/international/us-labels-bla-majeed-brigade-as-ftos/17734" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US</a> labelled <a title="Pakistan" href="https://www.benefitnews24.com/international/pakistan-s-chief-targets-india-s-heart/17749" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pakistan</a> a &ldquo;safe haven&rdquo; for extremists.
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The joint counter-terrorism statement, released after high-level talks in Islamabad, hailed Pakistan&rsquo;s &ldquo;successes&rdquo; in tackling militant outfits. Just five years ago, the US State Department&rsquo;s own 2020 Country Reports on Terrorism had accused Pakistan of harbouring multiple terrorist groups, including those threatening <a title="India" href="https://www.benefitnews24.com/business/india-eyes-gains-amid-us-tariff-standoff/17640" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India</a>. Today, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), ISIS-Khorasan, and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) feature in a shared priority list for elimination&mdash;ironically aligning with Islamabad&rsquo;s own security agenda.
This shift is unfolding against the backdrop of heightened India&ndash;Pakistan tensions. Following Operation Sindoor&mdash;India&rsquo;s retaliatory strikes after the Pahalgam terror attack&mdash;the US quietly mediated a ceasefire, with President Donald Trump claiming credit, even as New Delhi denied third-party involvement. Soon after,&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, travelled twice to the US, securing both political access and symbolic gestures, including a formal lunch with Trump.
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US State Department Spokesperson
Notably, Washington&rsquo;s recent decision to&nbsp;designate the BLA and its allies as terrorist organisations directly favours Pakistan&rsquo;s internal security objectives but chips away at India&rsquo;s strategic influence in South and Central Asia. New Delhi is watching closely, wary of what this means for the delicate regional balance.
Compounding matters, the Trump administration has slapped 50% tariffs on Indian goods, alleging India profits from cheap Russian oil&mdash;reselling it globally and thus &ldquo;indirectly fuelling&rdquo; the Ukraine war. This trade friction is a far cry from the once-solid Indo&ndash;US economic partnership. Washington&rsquo;s discomfort with India&ndash;Russia ties also reflects deeper anxieties over BRICS&rsquo; push for a new international currency, a move that could undermine the dominance of the US dollar.
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From New Delhi&rsquo;s lens, this US&ndash;Pakistan counter-terror embrace is more than a symbolic gesture&mdash;it&rsquo;s a strategic recalibration with potential ripple effects for the region&rsquo;s security, trade, and power equations. The question is whether this is a tactical convergence for Washington, or the start of a longer-term tilt away from India&rsquo;s core security concerns.

Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir meeting his American counterpart in Washington

America praises Pakistan’s anti-terror drive—India questions the shift amid fresh tensions

Is Washington Tilting Towards Islamabad Again?

America praises Pakistan’s anti-terror drive—India questions the shift amid fresh tensions

August 13, 2025 | 12:30 IST