The joint statement released by the Governments of the United States of America and Pakistan after the conclusion of the latest round of the US-Pakistan Counterterrorism Dialogue in Islamabad on 12 August 2025 is probably the most significant development in US-Pakistan relations after they touched their lowest point since 9/11, in May 2011, when US marines attacked Abbottabad to eliminate Osama bin Laden.
According to the text of the statement posted on the website of the US State Department, both delegations underscored the critical importance of developing effective approaches to terrorist threats, including “those posed by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), ISIS-Khorasan, and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).”
The joint statement also praised Pakistan’s counterterrorism record, offered condolences for recent attacks, and reaffirmed commitments to build institutional resilience, especially in combating new technological threats.
The dialogue was co-chaired by Special Secretary for the United Nations, Nabeel Munir, and US Department of State Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism Gregory D. LoGerfo.
The development is most significant because it comes at a time when Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, is in the United States for his second visit within a couple of months. It may signify a new chapter in the traditionally close relations between the armies of the two countries.
While still in the United States, Pakistan’s most powerful man, Asim Munir, accused India of continuing to fuel instability in the region and warned that Pakistan was fully prepared to counter any aggression from New Delhi. He made the comments on Friday at a dinner with members of the Pakistani diaspora in Florida.
The US Embassy in Islamabad declared in a post on X, “We remain committed to countering terrorism in all its forms.”
Michael Kugelman, a non-resident senior fellow at the Asia Pacific Foundation, noted in a post on X, “The US-Pakistan counterterrorism dialogue joint statement is one of the most positive and effusive I’ve seen from these two countries on CT for quite a few years. It reads like something from the immediate post-9/11 years.”
India should now be more than just irked or upset after the recent turn of events, with the US supporting Pakistan’s position in Balochistan vis-à-vis India
Just a day before, the United States officially designated Pakistan's Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its armed wing, the Majeed Brigade, as Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTOs). Washington said the group is responsible for deadly attacks in Balochistan, including a train hijacking in March that killed 31 people. “Today’s action taken by the Department of State demonstrates the Trump administration's commitment to countering terrorism,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.
The designation of the BLA as a terrorist organisation by the US, and its mention in the joint statement, shows a tacit acceptance of Pakistan’s stance by the US, given that Pakistan has long maintained that India has been supporting the insurgency in Balochistan. In May, Pakistan’s military described the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) as an “Indian proxy” after seven Pakistani army soldiers were killed when their vehicle was targeted by an improvised explosive device in Balochistan, blaming India for the attack amid rising tensions.
“The blood of innocent people will be avenged. The killing of innocent citizens is an open act of terrorism by India-sponsored terrorists," Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on 11 July, after terrorists abducted nine passengers from a bus in Balochistan and later killed them, according to a local official. The Balochistan Liberation Front, a banned outfit in Pakistan, later claimed responsibility for the attack.
The timing and the rapid pace of the growing US-Pakistan interactions suggest that President Donald Trump has apparently decided to bet on the support of Pakistan’s military leadership to pursue America’s security interests in the region. He has strongly criticised India’s close economic and military ties with Russia, and this latest development should be viewed through this lens.
On 6 August, Trump implemented an additional 25% tariff on India, days after he had already imposed a 25% levy on its tenth-largest major trading partner.
“I find that the Government of India is currently directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil,” Trump said in an executive order.
Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held at least two phone calls with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the last two months following their face-to-face meeting on 25 July 2025.
The first phone call took place on 28 July 2025, shortly after their Washington meeting, continuing discussions on bilateral issues including trade tariffs and regional security, according to Pakistan’s foreign ministry. The second phone call occurred around 4 August 2025, immediately after the visit of Iran’s president to Pakistan, where they reviewed ongoing bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and international issues, agreeing to maintain contact and continue cooperation.
The Arab News reported this call and commented that “Islamabad’s increasing engagement with Washington is being seen by analysts as a sign of a diplomatic reset after years of estrangement between the two countries.”
In a long report on 11 July, titled “How Pakistan wooed Trump — and rattled India,” the Financial Times commented that Pakistan is a rare country that is friends with China, Iran, the Gulf states, to a lesser extent Russia, and now, again, the US, quoting Marvin Weinbaum, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington. “The US sees Munir as someone who can play a useful strategic role, and the Pakistanis keep their lines open to everyone but know to pull back when one relationship is clashing with another.”
India should now be more than just irked or upset after the recent turn of events, with the US supporting Pakistan’s position in Balochistan vis-à-vis India. This also aligns the US position with China’s concerns about the security threats in Pakistan in general and Balochistan in particular.
The statement has serious implications, as it amounts to accepting Pakistan’s allegations that India has been behind terrorist attacks on its territory. India should now be seriously concerned. It once painted Pakistan as the epicentre of terrorism, but the wind seems to have changed as it faces growing isolation over its accusations that Pakistan supports terrorism and contends with a hostile American president who is not shying away from using any means at his disposal to corner India economically, diplomatically, and strategically.