Show Notes
Pakistan did not just become America's ally after 1947 – it slowly became a state whose military and strategic establishment learned that survival depended on staying useful to Washington.
In this episode of In Our Defence, host Dev Goswami and national security expert Sandeep Unnithan trace how Pakistan evolved into a geopolitical rentier state: trading geography, military cooperation and strategic access for money, weapons, political backing, and regime stability.
We break down:
-Why the United States backed Pakistan after independence
-How Pakistan's military became deeply tied to Washington
-Why Pakistani generals realised pleasing the US was often the key to surviving domestically
-The Cold War origins of the US-Pakistan partnership
-How this relationship pushed India closer to the Soviet Union
-What the Imran Khan cipher controversy actually revealed
-Whether the US played a role in Khan's removal
-The rise of Asim Munir and Pakistan's military establishment
-Why Pakistan may still prioritise US ties even at the cost of China
Tune in!
Produced by Taniya Dutta
Sound mixed by Aman Pal
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