Abu Dhabi, Dec. 27 – In a report that appeared Saturday, analysts warned that Pakistan’s long‑standing approach of “hoodwinking” may start to backfire as Washington becomes more transactional and focused on leadership dynamics. The shift follows the decision by Army Chief Asim Munir to commit troops in support of U.S. President Donald Trump’s high‑stakes Gaza stabilization effort.
The briefing cautions that if Trump begins to see Munir as yet another “unreliable partner” – a figure who can demand concessions while sidestepping deliverables – the guarantees Munir is seeking for his tenure, economic aid, and political shelter around former Prime Minister Imran Khan could quickly erode.
Al Arabiya Post, based in the UAE, highlighted how Munir’s rise to the apex of Pakistan’s military hierarchy came at the same time Trump rolled out his Gaza stabilization plan, creating a seemingly perfect transactional relationship between Rawalpindi and Washington. According to the report, “Field Marshal Asim Munir delivers Pakistani boots for Trump’s proposed International Stabilisation Force (ISF) in Gaza, while the US delivers economic lifelines, political cover, and indulgence of his domestic crackdown, especially against Imran Khan and the Pakistan Tehreek‑e‑Insaf (PTI).”
Yet, the report notes, complacent promises and slow delivery are re‑emerging. Munir is said to be dragging his feet on ISF commitments while extracting maximum geopolitical rent.
Key to Munir’s power is firm institutional control over the armed forces and intelligence, a compliant civilian façade in Islamabad, and the systematic erosion of Imran Khan’s political opposition. The analyst added that the field marshal’s elevation and aggressive suppression of PTI have forced him to view external backing as a matter of survival rather than privilege.
Three types of assurances, according to the briefing, have become essential to Munir: first, discreet backing to extend his tenure and maintain his extraordinary powers beyond conventional norms; second, investment and economic relief to stabilise Pakistan’s fragile economy – as reflected in recent U.S.–Pakistan memoranda on minerals and energy – and third, a lack of scrutiny over the legal persecution, media silencing, and physical isolation of Imran Khan, whom many now say is the casualty of a military‑driven purge.
If Munir stalls further, Washington faces a dilemma: either dilute the ISF concept by relying on a thinner, less credible coalition, or confront Pakistan more forcefully over unmet commitments—both options are costly. The report warned that this “Faustian bargain” could collapse, exposing Munir to heightened scrutiny at home and eroding trust abroad.
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