The Pakistani civilian government has become renowned for its weakness and instability. While the US continues to provide billions in aid to Pakistan, the aid money is not fulfilling its stated purposes. This policy outlines a new mode of diplomatic engagement with the Pakistanis and a new strategy to help build the Pakistani state.

The Center for American Progress’s plan seeks to reform Pakistan’s civilian government in order to ensure that U.S. assistance works to restructure the Pakistani state and contributes to economic stability domestically.  More broadly, the policy looks to build a bilateral relationship based on 'mutual trust' and long-term thinking, not short-sighted policy reactions.

Developing the bilateral US-Pakistan relationship requires that both parties take new policy actions.

First, the US and Pakistan should agree to a forward-looking 'strategic partnership' that sets forth key principles of cooperation for the future of the bilateral relationship.  Pakistan’s government must carry out a series of reforms and “prioritize the needs of its citizenry”. The U.S. should facilitate these reforms by increasing “training and educational opportunities for civilian bureaucrats, parliamentary committees, and civil society groups” in Pakistan.  Additionally, bilateral diplomacy should focus on a variety of governmental and non-governmental institutions so that the US engages the breadth of the Pakistani state.

Second, the U.S. should increase its “bilateral development assistance” to Pakistan as a crucial part of the global approach to cultivating a “sustainable economic system” in Pakistan. Because Pakistan has already received “assistance, loans, and donor pledges” from various assistance programs such as the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and the Friends of Pakistan Group, the U.S. must increase its cooperation with these aid initiatives to ensure Pakistan uses the assistance effectively.  In order to promote domestic and international calm in Pakistan, US aid should be directed to assist Internally-Displaced Persons (IDPs) and enhance measures to secure Pakistani nuclear material.

Billions of dollars in US and international aid are already committed to assisting Pakistan.  The US has offered $5 Billion in military assistance and the international community has delivered $5 Billion in humanitarian aid.  The Pakistani state has received a $7.6 Billion loan from the IMF.  To implement the proposed plan, the Pakistani government must increase citizen involvement in reforming the operation of government, the U.S., along with other allies, must increase its development assistance and thus its diplomatic ties to Pakistan, and various multilateral aid initiatives such as the IMF and the World Bank must coordinate their policies with the U.S.