US-Pakistan Relations Worsen

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When the term Af-Pak was introduced into U.S. foreign policy lingo around 2008, presumably by Richard Holbrooke, who would later become the first U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, many Pakistanis resented the phrase.

It was originally coined to reflect the belief that U.S. policy required a unified approach to military and security issues in the region. Winning the war in Afghanistan required a coordinated approach with Pakistan. But in Islamabad, officials felt the United States was looking at its relationship with Pakistan through the lens of Afghanistan.

Ten years later, the war in Afghanistan continues and Washington's relationship with Islamabad has worsened. The U.S. has suspended military aid unless Pakistan does more to crack down on militant groups. Pakistan says Washington is making it a scapegoat for the U.S. failure to secure Afghanistan.

Moeed Yusuf, the associate vice president of the U.S. Institute of Peace's Asia Center says, both sides are signaling to each other that the cost of crossing their red lines, which they have not clearly defined for the other side, will be high. While neither wants the relationship to actually rupture,"the danger of either side miscalculating the red lines of the other are higher than I’ve ever seen before in the last 15 years," he said.