ISLAMABAD - Donald Trump has been elected as the 47th President of the United States, securing 295 electoral votes against runner-up Kamala Harris, who won 226 votes.
Following his historic victory, leaders from around the world, including Israel’s Netanyahu, Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Bin Salman, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, China’s Xi Jinping, India’s Narendra Modi, and others, called President-elect Trump to congratulate him.
Once considered a close ally of the US, Pakistan was noticeably absent from American discussions throughout the election campaign and even after Trump’s win. US newspapers remained largely silent on Pakistan, with some covering other regional players like Bangladesh and Myanmar.
When The Nation asked former Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir for his perspective, he remarked that Pakistan currently holds little priority for the US. “It was certainly not part of the US political debate,” Bashir noted. “Pakistan’s relevance was primarily due to Afghanistan. Since the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Pakistan has been struggling to regain its prominence with the US. Additionally, our domestic issues contribute to negative press. The Pakistani expats community is trying to influence the US government, but mainly on internal matters.”
Syed Muhammad Ali, a professor at the National Defense University and Foreign Service Academy, highlighted that key issues in the recent US elections included immigration, abortion, the economy, LGBTQ rights, and debates over foreign military involvement. “The Democrats wanted to support allies in foreign conflicts, but Trump’s ‘America First’ approach emphasizes ending these commitments, urging the US to avoid further spending on overseas wars.”
“The US has already spent nearly $18 billion on the Ukraine-Russia conflict, and Trump wants to cut financial aid to Ukraine as well,” said Mr. Ali. “Pakistan is viewed as just one of the 193 countries, and it’s unrealistic to expect Pakistan to feature prominently in the US domestic politics.”
Uzair Anjum, a South Asia expert, said, “The U.S. has no direct strategic interests in Pakistan. With American foreign policy focused on the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as strategic competition with China, Pakistan is unlikely to become a major topic of discussion in the U.S. political system in the near term.”