🇺🇸🤝🇵🇰 “A Secret Handshake?” — Why Is Trump Courting Pakistan and Punishing India?

 

On August 1, 2025, former President Donald Trump, now in his second term, made a sweeping move by imposing harsh tariffs up to 41% on dozens of countries. India was hit with a painful 25% tariff, while Pakistan got off with just 19%—despite both nations having longstanding trade relationships with the U.S.

But here's the kicker: Pakistan also walked away with a major energy cooperation deal just days before this announcement. And India? Shut out.

So what’s really going on here?

🧩 Is There a Secret Deal?

Trump’s sudden embrace of Pakistan comes as a surprise—especially considering how U.S. administrations historically treated Islamabad with caution. But now, with Trump’s push to develop oil reserves in Pakistan’s Balochistan and Khyber region, it appears something deeper is brewing.

A backroom energy pact was signed just hours before the new tariffs were unveiled. In exchange for U.S. investment, Pakistan was rewarded with a 10% cut in tariffs—from 29% down to 19%.

That’s not diplomacy. That’s transactional politics.

🇮🇳 India: The Sacrificial Goat?

India, on the other hand, has stood as a consistent democratic ally:

It has hosted U.S. defense deals.

It played a key role in the Indo-Pacific security framework.

It buys billions in American tech and defense equipment.

Yet now, it’s being punished for:

Its BRICS membership?

Buying Russian oil at a discount?

Not toeing Washington’s line blindly?

This is not just unfair. It reeks of stepmotherly treatment—where India is held to a higher standard, while Pakistan is embraced for strategic convenience.

🧠 Let’s Be Honest—This Is Not About Trade

This isn’t about balancing tariffs. It’s about leveraging foreign policy as a bargaining chip. And right now, Pakistan seems to be playing the Trump playbook better than India.

Trump’s trade office claims these tariffs are “reciprocal.” But there's nothing reciprocal about punishing a partner like India while giving breaks to a country with:

A questionable record on terrorism,

An unstable economy,

And a military heavily funded by China in recent years.

The question that no one is asking in D.C.: 👉 What did Pakistan offer that India refused to?

🔥 India Must Not Stay Silent

India cannot afford to stay quiet or passive. Not now.

The U.S. can't have it both ways—expecting India’s loyalty while throwing it under the tariff bus. If trade is truly based on fairness, the White House must answer:

Why was India hit harder than Pakistan?

Why was an energy deal signed quietly before the tariff announcement?

Why does Trump keep calling India a “dead economy” while praising Islamabad?

This is not just economic injustice—it’s a diplomatic slap.

📢 Final Thought: America’s True Allies Deserve Better

India is not just another trade partner. It is the world’s largest democracy, a rising economic power, and a reliable ally in a volatile region.

The current U.S. administration’s approach—favoring Pakistan for short-term deals and sidelining India for asserting independence—is a dangerous game.

If there's a “secret deal” behind the scenes, the world deserves to know. And if this is simply about transactional foreign policy, India must act accordingly—by building stronger multilateral alliances and asserting its global voice without waiting for American approval.

Enough of the stepmotherly treatment. India is not a backup plan.

This is an opinion piece based on publicly available information and intended for commentary and analysis.”