A report by the Express Tribune said official sources confirmed on Wednesday that the Pakistani federal cabinet approved the signing of a security pact with the US, which might pave the way for Islamabad procuring military equipment from Washington.
According to the report, the cabinet gave a nod to the Communication Interoperability and Security Memorandum of Agreement, known as the CIS-MOA.
Overview
CIS-MOA is an agreement that the US signs with its allies and countries with which it wishes to establish close military and defence ties.
The agreement also provides legal cover to the US Defence Department to enable military hardware and equipment sales to other nations.
Pak Cabinet validates signing of security pact with US#Pakistan #UnitedStates #Islamabad https://t.co/c8zHvCjivL
— The Daily Guardian (@DailyGuardian1) August 4, 2023
A cabinet member, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed the Pakistani cabinet gave its seal of approval to the deal through a circulation summary. However, no official announcement has been made on the agreement from either side so far.
The agreement was first signed between the Pakistan Joint Staff Headquarters and the US Department of Defence in October 2005 and lasted 15 years. Upon expiry in 2020, the agreement was not renewed.
The latest development will cover joint exercises, operations, training, basing and equipment.
The move comes after the two countries agreed to enhance their bilateral ties in the defence field in a meeting held between US Central Command chief General Michael Erik Kurilla and Pakistani Army chief General Asim Munir in July.
Procurement of Military Equipment
While there is hope that the agreement would pave the way for Pakistan to procure military equipment from the US, a retired senior army officer said such a possibility would be difficult.
He referred to the growing US-India ties and said that Washington’s long-term interests are not aligned with Islamabad.
During Indian PM Narendra Modi’s visit to the US, India and the US signed the India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X), which will assist the armed forces of both countries to catalyse innovation.
Nonetheless, the renewal hints that the US does not want to downgrade its ties with Pakistan.
US-Pakistan Ties
The US was once a primary military provider to Pakistan. But with the end of the Cold War, US withdrawal from Afghanistan, and Chinese predominance in the South Asian country, progress in US-Pak ties has slowed down significantly.
The Siasat Daily quoted an expert on militancy and terrorism as saying:
“Pakistan was taken as an ally to the US during the time when the Afghan Taliban were fighting it out with the NATO forces in Afghanistan. Many times, Islamabad was accused of facilitating the US in carrying out Taliban targets of high-profile commanders through drone strikes.”
The renewed military cooperation had been kept a secret as it may draw ire from the Taliban.
#Pak #US #security reportshttps://t.co/nKN9KSA4Th
— Amb Anil Trigunayat (IFSRetd) (@AmbTrigunayat) August 3, 2023
Previously, former US President Donald Trump repeatedly accused Pakistan of not doing enough to root out militants. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden’s administration has continued with a lukewarm approach towards the country.
To thaw the ice in ties between the two nations, Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently held a telephone conversation. On the call, the US said it would continue to engage with Pakistan through technical and developmental initiatives.
In 2022, the US approved a $450 million deal with Pakistan for selling F-16 aircraft sustainment and related equipment to Pakistan.