Terrorism & Counter Terrorism Collaborations Between Pakistan & US

Terrorism & Counter Terrorism Collaborations Between Pakistan & US

Ever since the September 11 terrorist attacks, the US and Pakistan have been involved in the complex partnership of countering terrorism. The initial impetus of such an urgent alliance, which grew out of necessity, has also gradually transformed into a more tried-and-tested and multidimensional partnership with intertwining interests and existential threats. Such relationship has endured some of the fluctuating geopolitical winds, political tensions as well as operational setbacks, yet it has been pegged on a single interest: that of the dismantling of transnational terror networks that threaten regional and global stability. The restructuring of militant activities such as the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), persistence of the presence of Al-Qaeda and emergence of ISIS-Khorasan remain a necessity of active coordination on guard. To both countries, it is all or nothing.

Evolving Operational Synergy

The level of collaboration between the US and Pakistan in fighting terrorism can however be seen in the way joint initiatives are steadily rising in their sophistication and success. The most important case was in the beginning of the year 2025, when Pakistan captured Sharifullah, one of the major ISIS-K planners, who was involved in a bomb attack in Kabul Abbey Gate in 2021 that killed 13 American service members. Not only a game-changer in terms of justice and deterrence, this arrest, that was made in close collaboration with the US intelligence services, was furthermore an example of the real-time exchange and tactical fusion of intelligence the two nations have been able to create despite their troubled history in terms of diplomatic relations.

As commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), General Michael Kurilla hailed Pakistan as the fantastic partner in targeting ISIS-K. He is making a strategic deference to the geographical and operational importance of Pakistan in the volatile Afghanistan-Pakistan corridor. In July 2025, when General Kurilla was awarded the highest military accolade in Pakistan, the Nishan-e-Imtiaz, it was not only a matter of recognition but also a reestablishment of the recognition. It was the culmination of the longtime counterterrorism relationship that remains a challenge to the ups and downs of diplomatic tensions.

Domestic Capabilities and Institutional Strengthening

Improved internal counterterrorism measures have also been implemented in Pakistan where a lot of the assistance and training was offered by the US. NIFTAC can be viewed as an example of combined security operations. NIFTAC was to facilitate the streamlining of intelligence between federal and provincial agencies and establish connections with other international partners such as the US and demonstrates an attempt by Pakistan to institutionalize its resilience against terrorism. These platforms have played a major role in foiling attacks, making arrests, and interfering with terrorism financing.

In addition to the institutional developments, the US has been instrumental in assisting Pakistan in capacity building measures, through the donation of equipment, training and funding, to strengthen counterterrorism forces in the country. This capacity building exercise has resulted in something that can be measured, such that Pakistani forces have been able to conduct effective operations in troubled areas like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Amid arguments over Afghanistan policy or geopolitical directions, the security liaisons at the ground level portray that progress is not merely desirable but rather it is needed.

Shared Threats, Shared Responsibilities

The continuity of danger due to the presence of such organizations as TTP and ISIS-K explains why the US and Pakistan cannot afford not to cooperate. The TTP, especially, has stepped-up its attacks within Pakistan, going after both security people and civilians. Its ideological partisanship to the Taliban offshoots and networks that transversally operate along the Afghan border makes the group a two-pronged threat—first, to the internal stability of Pakistan itself, and second, to the general US interests in ensuring Afghanistan does not become a haven to international jihadist movements.

Although ISIS-Khorasan is geographically limited, it has still been deadly and adept at the media game, and its scope of influence is far beyond what the group manages to entrench itself in now. Its attacks against the minorities in Afghanistan, Pakistan targets and even western interests are strategic to achieve relevance and infamy. Through the detention of high-value targets such as Sharifullah, not only does Pakistan alleviate short-term threats but also becomes a stakeholder in the counterterrorism story; the one that cannot be completed with any other way than collaborative strategies.

Strategic Patience and Continued Engagement

All the achievements notwithstanding, there are still challenges. US counterterrorism priorities can come into conflict with other strategic priorities, either when the two come into conflict with one another (including strategic US relations with India or China). Likewise, Pakistanis tend to assert that the US is negligent or not always consistent, particularly since the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. But things have changed as evident in the recent past with adjustment on both fronts.

This latest re-engagement, in the form of high-level visits, amplification of military exchanges, and re-establishment of diplomatic contact highlights the burgeoning recognition of the need to be strategic about tolerance. Counterterrorism is not the one-time operation, it is the long-term process that needs flexibility, trust, and mutual understanding. It is in this regard that Washington and Islamabad seem to be only more determined to see that the operational alignment that they have managed to achieve is maintained and extended.

Lastly, the US-Pakistan counterterrorism cooperation continues as the most long lasting and effective components of bilateral relationship. It lies in decades of tactical collaboration, strengthened by institutional progress, and it is powered by common threat environment. The US and Pakistan still need to keep pace with the militant groups that are switching and re-organizing. The capture of Sharifullah did not only prove to be a strategic success but also demonstrated that effective collaboration can continue to achieve essential outcomes.

The partnership between the United States and Pakistan in the counterterrorism war, which has existed in an age of fluid alliances and volatile threats, is an indicative that international security cannot be an affair of the single country. It is and will be a common effort. Even though both countries are focused on the future, it will be necessary to reassert and enhance this relationship not only because of their security interests but also to the more global ideology of peace and stability.

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this article are exclusively those of the author and do not reflect the official stance, policies, or perspectives of the Platform.