The fact that Mr. Biden did not congratulate Mr. Sharif on becoming office or winning the election, they also said, was brought up.
Shuja Nawaz, who works with the South Asia Center at the Atlantic Council in Washington, said, "What distinguishes this anodyne message to the Pakistani leadership is the absence of any reference to the elections that Assistant Secretary Donald [Lu] testified could not be characterised as free and fair."
"What can the Pakistani people anticipate from the US president regarding that matter?" This might further alienate Pakistanis living abroad who anticipate that the US will back an open and transparent examination of election results that appear to have been manipulated following polling, Mr. Nawaz questioned.
Mr. Nawaz contends that this letter needs to be viewed in light of the fact that the US has been requesting less and less money for Pakistan in recent years. It was $218 million in fiscal 2022, dropped to $136 million in fiscal 2024, and might drop much lower in 2025.
"Pakistan requires significant economic and military support directly from the United States, along with vital assistance from international financial institutions where the United States maintains influence," he declared. "These meager amounts of aid do not reflect the kind that will enhance the quality of life for its 245 million citizens."
The influence of the letter on Pakistan's domestic politics was the main topic of discussion by Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center. The most notable feature is that it's a message that Imran Khan never received as PM,” he said.
Additionally, he stated that the letter "is not a note of congratulation, whether for assuming power or the election." The statement read, "It seems to me like a pretty standard letter pledging to maintain collaboration with Pakistan in the areas that have defined bilateral relations following US withdrawal from Afghanistan."
But Mr. Kugelman emphasized that the letter is significant. He said, "To be sure, though, this is far from routine—especially since it comes from the US president."
Toronto Metropolitan University professor Murtaza Haider said that the letter "skillfully avoids all meaningful matters that concern US-Pakistan relations."
He maintained that the letter had to have addressed issues with political unrest and security as well as Pakistan's climate change.
"It ignores the political unrest resulting from the controversial elections on February 8 and makes no commitment to provide Pakistan with financial or other support," he said. "This letter is definitely not an endorsement, if that was what the Sharif government was hoping for."
The previous head of the Pakistan Initiative at the Atlantic Council's South Asia Center, Uzair Younus, is a non-resident senior fellow and noted that President Biden's letter centers on issues that US officials have deemed important.
He remarked, "But what's striking is that Biden hasn't felt the need to congratulate the prime minister on winning the elections." "The letter does not specifically address terrorism, but it does focus on regional challenges, which can certainly be interpreted to include this issue."
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