"I love Pakistan. I. Love. Pakistan," a smiling Donald Trump tells a camera at what appears to be a swanky TV event.

The video is currently making the rounds on social media, just a day after Trump was elected President of the United States.

The Republican was voted into the White House in what seemed to many a stunning upset in the US presidential election.

Although it is unclear when the video was originally recorded, the message appears to be a positive one, despite Trump's headline-making criticism of Pakistan and his anti-Muslim rhetoric in the run-up to the Nov 8 election.

Trump has pledged to suspend immigration from a number of Muslim countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Somalia and said that people with roots in these countries are a threat to the Western world.

Donald Trump's surprise election as United States (US) president has Pakistanis wary that he may accelerate what they see as a shift in American policy to favour India in the long rivalry between nuclear-armed neighbours.

To many Pakistanis, Trump's anti-Muslim rhetoric and business ties to India are signs that his administration could shift further toward New Delhi.

"America will not abandon Pakistan, but definitely, Trump will be a tougher president than Hillary Clinton for Pakistan," said Hasan Askari Rizvi, Lahore-based foreign policy analyst. "I think India will have a better and smoother interaction compared to Pakistan."

Trump has yet to lay out a detailed policy for South Asia, although he recently offered to mediate between India and Pakistan regarding the Kashmir dispute.

Opinion

Editorial

Pathways to peace
Updated 27 Apr, 2026

Pathways to peace

NEGOTIATIONS to hammer out the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement took nearly two years before a breakthrough was achieved....
Food-insecure nation
27 Apr, 2026

Food-insecure nation

A NEW UN-backed report has listed Pakistan among 10 countries where acute food insecurity is most concentrated. This...
Migration toll
27 Apr, 2026

Migration toll

THE world should not be deceived by a global migration count lower than the highest annual statistics on record —...
Immunity gap
Updated 26 Apr, 2026

Immunity gap

Pakistan’s Big Catch-Up campaign showed progress but also exposed the scale of gaps in routine immunisation.
Danger on repeat
26 Apr, 2026

Danger on repeat

DISASTERS have typically been framed as acts of nature. Of late, they look increasingly like tests of preparedness...
Loose lips
26 Apr, 2026

Loose lips

PAKISTANIS have by now gained something of an international reputation for their gallows humour, but it seems that...