On Friday, 1^st August, 2025, Dr. Maleeha Lodhi delivered an online lecture on “Overview of Pakistan’s Relations with USA and the Changing Dynamics” to the participants of the 38^th Senior Management Course (SMC) at the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA), Lahore.

Dr. Lodhi outlined seven features of prevailing geopolitical upheaval. First, President Trump’s second term is marked by his mercurial nature, aversion to multilateralism, and drive to “Make America Great Again.” Second, economic power has shifted “from the West to the rest,” converting a unipolar world into a multipolar one. Third, an intensified confrontation between the US and China. Fourth, blatant disregard of international law. Fifth, the spread of right-wing populism, hyper-nationalism, and unilateralism. Sixth, digital technologies are reshaping global politics. Seventh, rising middle powers are determined to chart independent courses, complicating global alignments.

Dr. Lodhi traced the cyclical nature of Pak-US ties, which “fluctuates from estrangement to benign engagement.” She said that Washington has usually viewed Islamabad through a transactional lens focused generally on Afghanistan and counter-terrorism, imposing sanctions whenever interests diverged. Pakistan, meanwhile, has paid a heavy price for the Afghan war, including a surge in terrorism at home. She noted that relations cooled during President Biden’s tenure but are now warming up. Positive signals from Washington are apparently linked to Pakistan’s continued counter-terrorism cooperation and public expressions of gratitude.

Dr. Lodhi concluded that four factors will shape the future trajectory of Pak-US relations: Pakistan’s relationship with China, Washington’s ties with India, the evolving situation in Afghanistan, and Pakistan’s own domestic political and economic trajectory.

The lecture was followed by an intensive Q&A session.