What role does the United States play in the political conflicts of South Asia?
Author: Rahmatullah Ravand
According to a recently disclosed secret diplomatic document, it was revealed that in 2022, the United States pressured Pakistani diplomats to find a way to remove then–Prime Minister Imran Khan from power. Imran Khan, who was dismissed later that same year, did not support the United States or its geopolitical agenda — on the contrary, he sought to strengthen ties with China and Russia.
According to ISNA, the television network Russia Today reported that after his resignation, Imran Khan was quickly arrested and banned from participating in politics. In the same week these events took place, Pakistan signed a new defense agreement with the United States, reaffirming the long-standing ties between Washington and the Pakistani military, which for decades has been the main pillar of state power.
This cannot be dismissed as a conspiracy theory — one only needs to look at what has happened. The United States took part in a covert operation to change the regime in Pakistan — a rather unusual step, considering Islamabad’s simultaneous efforts to build stronger relations with India. All this reflects Washington’s ambitions: to pit the two nations against each other, to consolidate its military dominance in South Asia, to use India as a pawn in its confrontation with China, and at the same time to use Pakistan as a counterbalance to India’s growing influence.
First of all, it is important to understand that America’s Indo-Pacific Strategy is aimed precisely at establishing this kind of hegemony — ensuring U.S. strategic control over both the Pacific and Indian Oceans by containing China and preventing the rise of any other regional powers.
Although Washington views India as an important partner in containing Beijing, this does not mean that the U.S. is willing to accept India — a nation of 1.4 billion people with massive economic potential — becoming an independent superpower capable of dominating the region. The “Indian Peace” is not the “American Peace,” since India’s foreign policy is built on preserving strategic autonomy and the doctrine of “Neighborhood First.”
Despite rising tensions between India and China, the main and most historic threat to India remains its neighbor, Pakistan. From a traditional standpoint, Washington has always maintained strong military relations with Islamabad, as Pakistan was a key U.S. ally in the war on terror in Afghanistan and a major buyer of American weapons. India, in contrast, has long been dissatisfied with U.S. support for Pakistan — a factor that prevented closer ties between the two countries in the early 2000s.
Over time, a strategic shift occurred: Pakistan turned increasingly toward China, while India moved closer to the United States. Beijing became Islamabad’s main economic partner through the Belt and Road Initiative, seeking to establish the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor to gain access to the Indian Ocean and bypass sea routes controlled by the U.S. Navy.
During Imran Khan’s premiership, Pakistan’s foreign policy took a distinctly anti-Western turn. He drew closer to China, distanced himself from Washington, and expanded defense cooperation with Beijing.
Moreover, Imran Khan sought to deepen economic relations with Russia and even visited Moscow on the very day the conflict in Ukraine began. However, given Pakistan’s geopolitical importance, the United States considered this foreign policy stance harmful to its interests and, according to reports, lobbied for Khan’s removal.
Although Washington’s relations with India continue to grow, the U.S. is not interested in creating a situation where it must choose decisively between India, China, and Pakistan. In fact, America’s regional policy still follows the old principle of “divide and rule.”
Pakistan — a country of more than 200 million people with nuclear capability — remains an important military and strategic counterbalance to India. India may be larger and more successful in the long run, but Pakistan continues to represent a serious and enduring threat that cannot be completely neutralized.
From the perspective of American strategists, Pakistan should not become solely a Chinese asset. The United States seeks to maintain favorable relations with both India and Pakistan so it can use them against one another and ultimately benefit from this balance.
Yes, America currently supports New Delhi — but it is important to understand that this support does not mean Washington is ready to accept India as an equal power. In the American worldview, the world must remain unipolar.
