Mr Sharif goes to Washington

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As a superpower, the US can use its considerable bilateral and multilateral economic leverage to compel Pakistan to cooperate

For a time, the US and Pakistan were in danger of running an important bilateral relationship aground atop a mountain of mutual suspicions and recriminations. Indeed, polarising issues increasingly dominated mutual ties. The chorus of accusations levelled at Pakistan included being a nominal ally in the war on terrorism, using violent non-state actors to de-stabilise neighbouring countries and facilitating nuclear proliferation. Equally, the US finger pointing for its own lack of success in stabilising Afghanistan alarmed Pakistan. The growing US strategic partnership with regional rival India also played into Pakistan’s insecurities. While mutual concerns have not entirely disappeared, a better convergence of interests is visible after Prime Minister (PM) Sharif’s trip to the US.