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Congressional Delegation Engages Pakistani Military Leadership in Strategic Dialogue
Rasheed Ahmad Chughtai
www.rachughtai.com
Rawalpindi, 14 April 2025 –
**High-Level U.S. Congressional Delegation Engages Pakistani Military Leadership in Strategic Dialogue**
A high-profile U.S. Congressional delegation, led by **Honorable Congressman Jack Bergman (R-MI)**, accompanied by **Congressmen Thomas Suozzi (D-NY) and Jonathan Jackson (D-IL)**, conducted an official visit to Pakistan. The delegation held a closed-door meeting with General Syed Asim Munir, NI(M), Chief of Army Staff (COAS)**, at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.
The discussions centered on *regional security dynamics, counterterrorism cooperation, and strategic defense collaboration**, reflecting Washington’s renewed interest in Islamabad amid shifting geopolitical alignments.
**Key Intelligence Highlights:**
1. **Counterterrorism & Regional Stability**
– The U.S. delegation acknowledged Pakistan’s critical role in combating **ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K)**, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and other transnational terror networks.
– Recent intelligence suggests **increased ISIS-K activity in Afghanistan**, with spillover threats to Pakistan’s western borders.
– Pakistan emphasized its **ongoing counterterrorism operations, including **Operation Azm-e-Istehkam**, targeting militant hideouts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
2. U.S. Strategic Re-engagement with Pakistan
– The visit signals **Washington’s attempt to reassert influence** in South Asia following its **Afghan withdrawal debacle (2021) and growing **Sino-Russian consolidation** in the region.
– The U.S. is particularly **monitoring CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor)**, given its strategic implications for Indo-Pacific competition.
-Potential intelligence-sharing enhancements on **cyber warfare, drone surveillance, and counter-radicalizationwere discussed.
3. Afghanistan Factor & Border Security
– Both sides expressed concerns over **Taliban-ruled Afghanistan’s inability to curb cross-border terrorism.
– Pakistan reiterated demands for U.S. pressure on Kabul to prevent TTP and ISIS-K from using Afghan soil for attacks.
– Recent ISI-led operations have neutralized 12 high-value targets (HVTs) linked to ISIS-K in the past three months.
4. Economic & Technological Cooperation
– Three classified MoUs were signed, focusing on:
*Military AI & cybersecurity collaboration (likely involving NSA-Pakistani Cyber Command coordination**).
*Defense industrial partnerships** (potential JF-17 Block IV upgrades with U.S. avionics).
-Counter-drone technology transfers to secure Pakistan’s western frontier.
*Geopolitical Undercurrents:
*China’s Shadow:** The U.S. is wary of **deepening Pakistan-China defense ties**, including recent J-10C fighter deals and naval collaborations at Gwadar Port. *Russia’s Outreach:** Moscow’s *expanded military-technical cooperation with Islamabad (e.g., *energy deals, counterterrorism training*) complicates U.S. leverage.
- *Iran-Pakistan Tensions:* Recent tit-for-tat strikes (January 2025) have pushed Pakistan toward *U.S.-backed border security mechanisms.
Assessment:
This visit underscores **Washington’s calibrated re-engagement strategy*—leveraging Pakistan’s military establishment to counterbalance **Chinese influence while securing counterterrorism gains. However, **Islamabad’s multi-vector foreign policy* (balancing U.S., China, and Russia) remains a challenge for sustained alignment.
*Recommended Actions:**
*Monitor U.S. arms sales approvals to Pakistan (potential *F-16 upgrades**).
– *Track ISI-RAW back channel talks on Kashmir de-escalation.
– Assess Chinese reactions to U.S.-Pakistan defense MoUs.
www.rachughtai.com
