Nearly a decade and a half after the 9/11 attacks, there remains a key flaw in the ongoing U.S.-led “War on Terror:” Washington’s response has been hyper-militarized, dominated by counter-terrorism and security, while other soft power instruments like public diplomacy have been under-invested in.

In this aspect the US ‘smart power’ strategy in its relationship with Pakistan is very important to understand. Pakistan is arguably the litmus test to evaluate if the new US agenda is moving in right direction.