India’s recently finalised trade agreement with the United States has stirred strong reactions in Pakistan, where critics say months of diplomatic outreach to Washington have produced little tangible benefit.
The contrast has been particularly striking after the US announced lower tariffs on Indian goods than on Pakistani exports, despite Islamabad’s visible efforts to court US President Donald Trump. These efforts reportedly included nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize and supporting his proposed inclusion on the Board of Peace.
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New Delhi, meanwhile, is being credited with holding firm against sustained pressure from Trump during negotiations.
Adding to the optics, Trump took to social media with a series of posts that included images of India Gate and a magazine cover featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi alongside himself. He later announced that tariffs on Indian products would be reduced to 18 per cent — one percentage point lower than the rate imposed on Pakistan.
The development has triggered disbelief and frustration across Pakistan, with many commentators questioning how India managed to secure a more favourable deal without what they perceive as excessive deference to Trump.
Social media has been flooded with sarcastic and critical reactions. One post that quickly went viral came from Pakistan-based X user Umar Ali, who compared Pakistan’s treatment by Trump to that of a discarded partner. The post was accompanied by an AI-generated image showing a distressed Field Marshal Asim Munir holding a box of rare minerals, juxtaposed against the India Today cover featuring Modi and Trump.
For many in Pakistan, the episode has become a symbol of diplomatic miscalculation, while in India it is being viewed as a sign of New Delhi’s growing leverage and confidence on the global economic stage.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)
