Democrats or Republicans: Who will better serve Pakistan's interests?

The United States is poised to elect a new president for the next five years, but the nearly equal distribution of voters between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump creates uncertainty about who will emerge victorious and how this election will impact Pakistan's politics.

As many as 625,000 Pakistanis live in the US and contribute at least one-third of annual remittances. Additionally, the US is also a key trade partner of Pakistan. 

The strong ties between the two countries are reinforced by the presence of numerous American companies in Pakistan, including McDonald's, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, and YouTube, which stengthen the US-Pakistan relations.

In FY2024, Pakistan’s trade with the US saw notable growth with imports typically remaining lower than exports. 

However, the public sentiments towards the US in Pakistan are complex, as anti-American narrative is popular in Pakistan.

Still, the US is a popular destination among Pakistani youths, whether they want to pursue higher education or seek employment and residence abroad.

Politically, there is curiosity about how U.S. relations with Pakistan might shift following the election, as the two major parties, Democrats and conservative Republicans, hold contrasting views regarding Pakistan.

The Republicans had an adversarial stance on Pakistan but another reality depicted that the country got higher financial support during the Republican tenure. 

The military regimes of Zia-ul-Haq and Pervez Musharraf benefited from significant aid in the context of the Afghanistan war and counter-terrorism efforts.

While Republican administrations have not been particularly supportive of democracy in Pakistan. but on the other hand, Democratic presidents, despite imposing sanctions, have generally promoted democratic values and personal freedoms..

For instance, Democrats' government had also played a great role during the reign of Pervez Musharraf in securing the release of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

However, diplomats believe that Pakistan-US ties have significant value regardless of the party in power in the US.

“I have no doubt that this momentum will be sustained after the forthcoming elections, there is a bipartisan consensus between Pakistan and the US that Pakistan holds strategic importance in South Asia,” said Jalil Abbas Jilani, a former Pakistani Ambassador to the US.

Experts on US-Pakistan relations believe that if Trump wins, the US will continue to adopt an attitude of indifference towards Pakistan.

However, if Kamala Harris prevails, it is expected that there will be a stronger emphasis on democracy and personal freedoms in Pakistan.