Joe Biden: Prospects and Setbacks for India and Pakistan
US elections have always got attention from world media, analysts, and policymakers as they, sort of, predict the future world order or structure. The 2020 United States presidential election was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Joe Biden got more than 75 million votes, the most votes cast to any US President in history, and became the 46th president of the United States of America beating Donald Trump, the previous president of the United States. Kamala Harris became the first woman, and the first black and Asian American vice president of the United States.
The appointment of Biden as US president will change the politics in the world, especially in South Asia. Biden’s election will bring predictability and stability in the region, which was ruined exceptionally by the Trump administration. India and Pakistan are the two major powers of this region and the administration of both countries has started preparations to get the most out of Biden’s administration. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted to congratulate Biden and Harris on their victory. His message was oddly specific and showed Islamabad’s policy concerns that could become a challenge under the Biden presidency.
Unlikely Trump, who had implemented extremist policies like immigration ban, trade ban on China, Mexican wall, and anti-Muslim stance, Biden is expected to reverse all those policies and bring world politics back to normal. Traditionally, Democrats have always laid more emphasis on human rights, so we expect that the new president will not ignore the situation in Kashmir. Harris has raised her voice for the people of IOJK when the Indian government unilaterally abrogated Article 370 of the constitution in August last year which guaranteed the semi-autonomous status to the people of the occupied valley. She also told Modi that “we are watching” and also called him out on human rights abuse in IOJK.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly lashed out at Pakistan on several public forums. During Trump’s tenure, relations between the US and Pakistan have deteriorated. Joe Biden is an old diplomat and has had cordial relations with Pakistan and that is the reason why Pakistan is rooting for him. In 2008, Pakistan had awarded Biden with the second-highest civilian honor, ‘Hilal-e-Pakistan’.It was also Joe Biden who was behind the proposal to bring $ 1.5 billion non-military aid to Pakistan.
On one hand, the Pakistan administration is looking forward to Biden. India, on the other hand, is also hoping for the betterment of its relations with the US. Biden, in his election campaign agenda, stated that “Biden will deliver on his long-standing belief that India and the United States are natural partners, and a Biden Administration will place a high priority on continuing to strengthen the U.S.-India relationship. No common global challenge can be solved without India and the United States working as responsible partners. Together, we will continue strengthening India’s defense and capabilities as a counter-terrorism partner, improving health systems and pandemic response, and deepening cooperation in areas such as higher education, space exploration, and humanitarian relief.”
Apart from the setback that Biden could be more interested in India than in Pakistan, another factor that the people of Pakistan are ignoring is Biden’s love and support for Israel. “I am a Zionist. You don’t have to be a Jew to be a Zionist,” United States President-elect Joe Biden, said in April 2007. Alongside Biden, Harris is also inclined towards Israel and there is no hope for the people of Palestine. She made it clear during a speech she delivered at the 2017 American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Policy Conference. In it, Harris said she supported the US providing Israel 38 billion dollars over the next decade in military aid. She could be seen saying, “We must stand with Israel” multiple times during that speech.
Whether Biden takes the side of Pakistan, takes both parties alongside, or supports Israel, one thing is clear that his administration will be predictable and will be more consistent than the Trump administration, bringing policies back to normal.