Pakistan’s relations with the United States constitute an important element of its foreign policy. This relationship spanning over seven and a half decades is broad-based, positive, and forward-looking. Pakistan and the United States of America established diplomatic relations on 15 August 1947, making US one of the first two nations to recognize Pakistan.
Pakistan established its Embassy in Washington soon after the establishment of diplomatic relations with the United States. Today, in addition to the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington, there are four Consulates in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Houston. United States has one of the largest Missions in Pakistan with its Embassy in Islamabad and Consulates in Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar.

The last bilateral political consultation was virtually held in 2021 that covered a wide-ranging discussion on bilateral and regional issues. In the past one and a half year, there has been an uptick in the bilateral relations through exchange of high-profile visits and dialogues on matters of importance. The existing consultation mechanism include: TIFA Ministerial Council; Mid-level Defense Dialogue; Counter Terrorism Dialogue; Climate and Environment Working Group; Energy Security Dialogue; and Health Dialogue.

The U.S. has been an important economic and developmental partner of Pakistan for decades, and helped usher in the Green Revolution in Pakistan in 1960s. The U.S. assisted Pakistan in the construction of several mega irrigation and energy projects such as Mangla, Terbela and Gomal Zam Dams.

The United States has been an important economic and development partner of Pakistan for decades. It remains Pakistan’s largest export market (USD 8.33 billion, 2022) and a key source of FDI (118.4 million, year 2022) and remittances (3.09 billion, 2022). In addition to the economic relations, Pakistan enjoys robust defense ties with the U.S. that has a long history.

There are strong people to people ties and education linkages between Pakistan and the USA. aPakistani diaspora and Americans of Pakistani descent play an important role in deepening Pak-U.S. bilateral ties. The total number of residents of Pakistani origin in the US is 629,946 (2021, the US Census Bureau). New York, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and the tri-state area of Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia are major concentration centers of the Pakistanis. Around 10,164 Pakistani students are currently enrolled in the US higher education institutions.