WASHINGTON: Pakistan and the United States are exploring ways to transform their renewed diplomatic warmth into a durable, economically grounded partnership that extends beyond traditional security cooperation.
Both sides appear eager to shift the focus toward sustained engagement in trade, investment, and energy, aiming to redefine the relationship on a more stable and forward-looking footing.
In Washington, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, met with US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Paul Kapur, this week in what officials described as an early round of talks aimed at giving tangible form to the recent diplomatic warmth between the two countries.
Ambassador Sheikh congratulated Kapur on assuming charge of the South and Central Asia Bureau and used the opportunity to advocate for a relationship grounded in economic cooperation and sustained engagement.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, the envoy stated: “Discussed ways and means of translating the resolve — expressed at the leadership level — of developing Pak-US ties into an economically entrenched strategic partnership, through sustained engagement in multiple domains of mutual interest.”
Sheikh emphasized the need for steady, working-level dialogue spanning trade, investment, and energy collaboration to build a more stable and mutually beneficial partnership beyond traditional, crisis-driven diplomacy.
Kapur, in a corresponding message on his official X handle, said: “Pleasure to meet Pakistani Ambassador Sheikh at the State Department today. Discussed ways to advance the US-Pakistan relationship and make our countries more prosperous and secure.”
While Washington has not yet outlined a detailed roadmap, US officials indicated their willingness to keep discussions ongoing. Islamabad, meanwhile, views the engagement as a positive signal amid efforts to revive old channels and stabilize ties following years of turbulence.
Kapur, who was sworn in as Assistant Secretary of State on October 22, 2025, is currently on leave from the US Naval Postgraduate School, where he served as a professor in the Department of National Security Affairs.
A noted scholar and policy expert, Kapur has held roles at the Hoover Institution, State Department’s Policy Planning Staff, and Claremont McKenna College. His publications include Dangerous Deterrent: Nuclear Weapons Proliferation and Conflict in South Asia and India, Pakistan, and the Bomb: Debating Nuclear Stability in South Asia.
He earned his PhD from the University of Chicago and BA from Amherst College, and has directed several US-India strategic dialogues for the Department of Defence.
