The famous American magazine Washington Times has made important revelations in one of its articles, declaring 2025 as the year of revolutionary change in Pak-US relations.
According to the report, the article pointed out a surprising change in Trump’s Pakistan policy and said that Washington’s “India First” era is over and Pakistan has gained superiority, the basis of the US policy shift was the Indo-Pak war in May.
The Washington Times article also includes a special analysis of the relationship between Field Marshal Asim Munir and US President Trump. The Washington Times said that Pakistan has become a partner country from an unwanted state. For the US, such a rapid image building and opinion change of Pakistan is a rare and unique event. Pakistan has been declared the central pillar in Trump’s South Asia policy.
According to the Washington Times, initially the idea was to make India the hegemon through the Quad and other forums and to sideline Islamabad, but India’s political situation, restrictions on personal freedoms, uneven military performance and diplomatic rigidity made India suspicious as a regional stabilizer.
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The Washington Times said that the first thaw in Pak-US relations came from secret counterterrorism exchanges, which gave Washington a clear signal of substantive cooperation. In March, Trump unexpectedly praised Pakistan in a national address, which changed the course of policy in Washington.
Islamabad immediately cashed in on the opportunity, each limited cooperation turned into unexpected credit, engagement increased and relations went from transactional to strategic, the decisive turning point in Pak-US relations was the brief but intense Pak-India clash in May.
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The Washington Times said that Pakistan’s military performance surprised Trump, Pakistani discipline, strategic focus and asymmetric capabilities were described as far above American expectations, at that moment Pakistan was again seen as a serious regional actor, and the strategic map for Trump was redrawn after the May War.
According to the Washington Times, Pakistan was declared an Emerging Asset anchoring the South Asia Vision, Pakistan’s military modernization gained new global importance, the command structure was overhauled and the post of Chief of Defense Forces was activated, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir’s name was prominently mentioned for this position, as well as his role as Army Chief was also appreciated.
The Washington Times said that India’s cold response to the ceasefire was unpleasant for Trump, while Pakistan accepted the mediation with appreciation and gratitude, Field Marshal Asim Munir emerged as a star of Trump’s inner circle, and the Trump-Asim relationship was called a half-joking “bromance”.
The Washington Times said that Asim Munir was given titles like Disciplined Dark Horse and Deliberate Mystery, the lunch meeting at the White House was described as a first for a Pakistani military head, the Field Marshal was given a red carpet welcome at the Centcom headquarters, and high-level strategic discussions were held with the US military leadership.
At the beginning of 2026, Pakistan is being seen close to the center of Trump’s grand strategy. Pakistan has been seen as a discreet and credible channel to Iran, a potential key role in the Gaza calculus, and a prominent presence in the region, the era of India-first in Washington is over.
The Washington Times said that the sustainability of the new US policy will be conditional on the behavior of Delhi and Islamabad, and that Pakistan and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir played the real role in rewriting US policy and the balance of South Asia in 2025.
