New Delhi, Nov 15 Pakistans decision to form a complete strategic alliance with China may invite the "wrath of the US and its allies", the countrys policymakers anticipated during their last weeks closed-door briefing to the lawmakers on national security issues, The Express Tribune reported.
The members of the Pakistan Parliament were told that the country was manoeuvring to maintain a "balance" in ties with the US and China.
However, Pakistan's efforts to seek that balance seem to have not produced the desired results, the report said.
The lawmakers were informed that the country's relationship with the US, Pakistan's traditional ally, is confronted with further perils in the wake of recent developments, particularly the chaotic exit of the US from Afghanistan, the report said.
"The ties with the US at the moment are at the lowest ebb," an MP quoted a senior figure as saying.
Pakistan's longstanding ties with China have in the past helped Islamabad to act as a bridge between Washington and Beijing, acquiring a somewhat win-win situation. But finding itself in an altered geostrategic setup, Pakistan no longer views it as an easy task, the report said.
As China inches closer to matching the US on all fronts, there have been visible signs of what observers see as a ‘new cold war'. Against this backdrop, Pakistan is confronted with the daunting task of sustaining a balance in its alliances.
On one hand, Beijing has stood by Islamabad in difficult times and has emerged as a major investor but on the other, Islamabad also has to take into account Washington's huge leverage over international financial and other institutions, the report said.
Briefing the lawmakers, the policymakers highlighted that while China has been Pakistan's long-standing "friend and ally", the US still holds the key in terms of IMF and FATF. Therefore, Pakistan is striving for maintaining a balance.
According to the Pakistani assessment, the US could tighten the screws on Pakistan through the International Monetary Fund
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