Pakistan–US ties can rest on trade, minerals and technology, says Professor Holland at IRS

Islamabad, 21 October 2026: Trade, critical minerals and technology offer Pakistan and the United States a more durable basis for bilateral relations than the security-driven partnerships of the past, Professor Dr. Kenneth M. Holland, Fulbright Specialist and Adjunct Professor of Political Science at the University of Utah, said at the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) in Islamabad.

Professor Holland was speaking at a session titled “Pakistan–US Relations in a Multipolar World,” hosted by the IRS China Program under its Eminent Speaker Series.

Opening the discussion, Ms. Nabila Jaffer Research Analyst observed that one of the longest-standing relationships in Pakistan’s foreign policy was evolving amid intensifying competition among the United States, China and Russia, with middle powers assuming a more prominent role in international affairs. She framed the discussion around whether Pakistan–US ties could be anchored more firmly in trade, investment, education and technology rather than security alone.

Professor Holland contrasted the foreign policy approaches of Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump. He said Biden had continued the post-Second World War tradition of American leadership in promoting democracy and free markets, whereas Trump had rejected nation-building in favour of a more transactional, “America First” approach. Drawing on his work in Afghanistan, Myanmar and other countries, he noted that the US record on nation-building was mixed, citing Germany, Italy and Japan as examples of success alongside less successful interventions.

He placed Pakistan–US relations within the broader context of US–China strategic competition. Washington regards India as a key partner in countering China, he said, making Pakistan more strategically relevant when US–India relations become strained. He cited tensions in 2026 over tariffs, visa restrictions and market access as factors affecting the bilateral equation.

Professor Holland identified several areas in which the two countries’ interests converge. Counterterrorism remains one, particularly given the shared threat posed by ISIS-K. On the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), he said Washington did not object to its economic objectives but remained concerned about its potential military applications.

Critical minerals and technology, he argued, offered promising avenues for cooperation. Pakistan possesses substantial mineral resources, and US companies have begun work involving antimony and copper. Pakistan’s educated, English-speaking young workforce also gives it potential in artificial intelligence-related services. Together, these sectors could provide a more sustainable foundation for bilateral relations than the security partnerships that characterised the Cold War, the Soviet war in Afghanistan and the post-9/11 period.

Turning to regional dynamics, Professor Holland said Pakistan, like other middle powers, sought strategic autonomy. Stronger ties with the United States, particularly through private-sector investment, could help Islamabad diversify its economic partnerships and avoid excessive dependence on China.

He also discussed Russia’s interest in developing an energy corridor to South Asia through Central Asia, as well as regional connectivity initiatives such as the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) gas pipeline and the Trans-Afghan Railway. Central Asian states, he noted, were likewise seeking to preserve their strategic autonomy amid competing Chinese and Russian influence. Afghanistan’s expanding engagement with India, including the prospect of trade links through Iran’s Chabahar port, was another development Pakistan needed to monitor closely.

Professor Holland pointed to growing trust between Islamabad and Washington, citing Pakistan’s role in mediation between the United States and Iran. He also underscored the importance of educational and people-to-people ties. Pakistan, he noted, hosts the world’s largest Fulbright programme, implemented in partnership with the Higher Education Commission, while the number of Fulbright PhD scholarships for Pakistanis has doubled from 33 to 66.

He stressed that Pakistan would also need to diversify its exports towards higher-value-added products and strengthen its electricity and internet infrastructure to realise the full potential of economic cooperation.

In his concluding remarks, Professor Holland said Pakistan and the United States shared important interests but also had divergent priorities, particularly concerning China and India. Managing these differences while advancing areas of mutual benefit would require skilful diplomacy.

Dr. Usman Chohan, Research Fellow at IRS, highlighted emerging areas of economic cooperation, including digital assets and a liquidity arrangement under discussion between the two countries.

The session concluded with an interactive question-and-answer discussion on the long-term prospects for Pakistan–US relations, regional connectivity initiatives such as CASA-1000, TAPI and the Trans-Afghan Railway, and Pakistan’s historic role in facilitating the opening of US–China relations in the 1970s.