Pakistan – United States relations refers to the bilateral relationship between the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the United States of America . On 20 October 1947 , two months and six days after Pakistan 's independence , the United States established relations with Pakistan , making it amongst the first nations to establish relations with the new state . Pakistan allied itself with the U.S. during the Cold war era against the Soviet Union , and was an integral player in the CENTO and SEATO . Worsening of relations following the election of the left-oriented Pakistan Peoples Party under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto , relations quickly improved and deepened during Operation Cyclone in the 1980s , which was directed against Soviet expansion in Central Asia and South Asia , by funding and training Muslim mujahideen in Afghanistan to combat the Soviet Union . Relations once again soured after the collapse of the Soviet Union , when the United States approved sanctions against Pakistan by passing the Pressler amendment , which was enacted against Pakistan for its nuclear weapons program , which was initiated after the war with India in 1971 and accelerated after India detonated a nuclear bomb in 1974 . Pakistan once again assumed an important role in American geopolitical interests in the region following the September 11 attacks , and the subsequent War on Terror . Relations were strengthened as the United States named Pakistan a major non-NATO ally in 2002 — which allowed for the release of over $ 25 billion of aid to Pakistan . American recovery efforts following the 2005 Kashmir earthquake were widely appreciated by the Pakistani public
2005 Kashmir earthquake
2005 Kashmir earthquake
Pakistan–United States relations