THIS is apropos article ‘Romney: the Pakistan perspective’ (Oct 26). While mentioning the low and high points of the US-Pakistan relationship, the writer has omitted the circumstances that led to, occurred during or resulted after those bilateral events.

Of the two major superpowers of the time, the USSR had sent a state visit invitation to Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan in 1948.

That invitation was set aside and a similar one from the US was waited on for two more years till 1950 when President Truman, reportedly disillusioned by India’s resolutely nonaligned stance, finally sent one to Pakistan.

As the article also noted, the American president throughout 1947 to 1950 period was a Democrat.

During the Indo-China war of 1962 not only did president Kennedy wrest an assurance from the then Pakistani dictator Gen Ayub Khan that Pakistan wouldn’t take advantage of India’s engagement on the McMahon Line, he also provided American arms to an avowed enemy of its ‘most allied ally’ that were predictably used against it in the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965.

Pakistan has historically had a better relationship with Republican administrations in Washington compared to their Democrat counterparts.

President Obama has been the only notable exception to this perennial trend. He has stood by Pakistan despite the discovery of his nation’s enemy number one from our heartland.

Conversely, the United States has had better relations with Pakistan that is ruled either by a military dictator or the Pakistan People’s Party.

RAVEZ JUNEJO Karachi