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Three Reason Why India Will Again Outweigh Pakistan & Become A ‘Trusted Ally’ Of The New US Govt

As India and Pakistan recently decided to cease-fire along the contentious Line of Control, there are tell-tale signs of Pakistan feeling the heat under the Biden administration.

The out-of-the-blue decision to scale down hostilities at the de facto border with India indicates Islamabad can no longer afford to maintain its belligerent posture as the US could be tightening the noose around the country.

Here’s an analysis of three reasons why India will bask in glory under the Biden administration while Pakistan will feel left out.

1. US-India Partnership

The India-US partnership that has seen an upswing since the Trump presidency is likely to get a further boost with Joe Biden attaching utmost importance to Washington’s Indo-Pacific policy. For instance, the Indo-Pacific directorate will be the largest contingent in Biden’s National Security Council, comprising experts and analysts who are known for their tough stance on China.

The US’ leading role in the QUAD bloc (US, Japan, Australia, and India) could be a new headache for China. The Washington-led grouping will closely monitor Chinese activity or aggression in the Asia-Pacific region.

And if China comes under scrutiny, its ‘iron brother’ Pakistan will definitely feel the heat. Needless to say, Islamabad is very much dependent on China as far as defense and security are concerned. Besides the ‘enemy’s enemy is a friend’ logic, Pakistan has been looking up to China as its big brother who can stand by its side in the hours of need. 

However, times are changing and Pakistan has been afflicted with so many problems that even China may not be able to rescue it.

And with the US tightening the noose around China, Pakistan may have to rethink its priorities, especially the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which the two countries have been hailing as the harbinger of prosperity.

It is clear, the CPEC project has made Pakistan a victim of the Chinese debt-trap policy. No wonder, some analysts have called it “a trillion-dollar blunder”, based on a bogus assumption that a nation needs these massive economic projects to be flourishing. 

According to an analysis published in The Jerusalem Post, the debt outcome of the CPEC project is about $80 billion, 90% of which will be paid for by Pakistan in the form of the national debt. This is a massive burden on Pakistan’s already-crumbling economy, which could eventually force Islamabad to mortgage the sovereignty of its land. 

2. India – An Economic Superpower

On the economic front, India is going to steal the show while Pakistan will be left to fend for itself. With a GDP of $2.6 trillion, New Delhi automatically figures prominently in the US policy framework.

India has forging trade and business ties with several countries. The ‘Make-in-India’ initiative, especially in some segments, has started showing results. India’s success story in the pharmaceutical sector, especially its supply of affordable medicines to developing nations has earned it the title of the ‘Pharmacy of the World’.

The country also flaunts its status as the largest manufacturer of the Covid-19 vaccine.

In contrast, Pakistan’s economy is gasping for breath. The long list of negative factors including corruption, money-laundering, political instability among others, has ensured that few foreign countries are interested in investing in Pakistan.

If that were not enough, Pakistan will continue to figure in the FATF ‘grey list’ until June this year. The Paris-headquartered global watchdog is not happy with Pakistan’s performance in tackling money-laundering and terror financing. There are indications that if things remain unchanged, Pakistan could even be blacklisted by FATF.

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