Online Published on 20 December, 2023.
The US has subjected Pakistan to a unilateral sanctions regime at several crucial junctures in the history of their bilateral ties. Though the reasons for cutting off economic and military aid to Pakistan have been contingent on strategic exigencies prevalent at different points in time and, therefore, not singular, countering Pakistan’s nuclear ambitions has been a recurring theme. Yet these sanctions have not been able to deter or prevent Pakistan from conceiving its nuclear proliferation agenda and building on it. This article gives an overview of major US legislations and executive orders imposing economic and military sanctions on Pakistan since 1965. It enumerates their immediate and medium-term consequences, and evaluates their effectiveness and scope as a strategic deterrent.
