Pakistan Says US Ties Will Outlast Trump as Democrats Take Congress

Pakistan has told the world that its relationship with the United States does not depend on who sits in the White House. In its first response to the Democrats’ sweeping victory in the US midterm elections, Islamabad said on Friday that Pakistan–US ties would continue no matter which party controls Washington — a message aimed as much at the new Democratic Congress as at President Donald Trump.

The statement came from Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan at his weekly media briefing in Islamabad. He did not mention the Democrats by name. Instead, he stressed continuity: Pakistan has worked with every American government, and it plans to keep doing so.

“We have maintained excellent relations with all governments, irrespective of who is in power, and this will continue,” Khan said.

That single sentence captures how Pakistan is reading a major shift in American politics. The Democrats have won control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, leaving Trump to govern with a divided government for the final two years of his term. For Pakistan, which has spent the past two years building a close relationship with Trump personally, the question now is whether that relationship survives the change in Congress.

What the Foreign Office said

Khan described the United States as an important partner across the board. “We view the United States as an important partner for Pakistan in areas ranging from trade and investment to security and counterterrorism, as well as investment in minerals,” he said. “We will, therefore, continue to maintain our relations with the United States, irrespective of which government is in power.”

The list of areas he named was not accidental. Trade, investment, security, counterterrorism and minerals are the five pillars of the modern Pakistan–US relationship, and each of them now faces a new test in Washington.

The spokesperson also made clear that Pakistan sees the American election as an internal matter of the United States. That is standard diplomatic language, but in this case it carried a practical message: Islamabad does not want to be seen taking sides in American politics, and it does not want its relationship with Washington to become a partisan issue in either country.

The briefing covered much more than the United States. Khan also spoke about a US plan to deport Afghan nationals through Pakistani territory, preparations to welcome Sikh pilgrims for a major religious anniversary, an invitation to a forum in New Delhi, and Pakistan’s continuing efforts to help bring Washington and Tehran closer to a peaceful settlement. Each of those issues is connected to the same theme: Pakistan is trying to keep every diplomatic door open at the same time.

Why the midterms changed the picture

The midterm elections were held on Tuesday, 3 November 2026. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives were contested, along with 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate. The result was a major defeat for Trump’s Republican Party.

According to projections by the Associated Press, the Democrats won control of the Senate, reaching 54 seats with leads in two more, and won the House by passing the 218-seat mark needed for a majority. The party had won 228 House seats in the AP tally by the time the count was reported, and was leading in 34 more. In the Senate, the Democrats flipped at least seven Republican-held seats, including surprise wins in Texas, South Carolina, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, Maine and North Carolina.

The scale of the defeat was striking. In Texas, Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton, the state attorney general, by more than 11 percentage points in a state Trump had won by 14 points in 2024. In Kansas, Democrat Adam Hamilton became the first Democrat elected to the Senate from the state in almost a century. In Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed won his Senate race to become the nation’s first Muslim US senator. In South Carolina, Democrat Annie Andrews defeated the long-serving Republican Lindsey Graham.

It was, by several measures, the biggest Democratic win since the 1990s. It was also the first time in 20 years that a Republican president had lost control of both houses of Congress, the last time being George W. Bush in 2006. Voters punished the Republicans over the cost of living, tariffs, and the war with Iran, according to election coverage.

The new Democratic majority takes control on 3 January 2027. The result was already reshaping Washington within days: Trump replaced his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, with Stephen Miller, his most controversial aide.

The relationship Trump built — and the questions now

Pakistan–US relations have gone through a revival since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025. Islamabad invested heavily in building a relationship with the president and his inner circle, and the partnership grew around a small set of issues: mediation with Iran, cryptocurrency deals, critical minerals and counterterrorism cooperation. The relationship has increasingly been shaped by direct engagement between the White House and Pakistan’s military leadership.

That history is exactly why the midterm result matters for Islamabad. Much of the recent cooperation was built through personal and military channels rather than through Congress. A Democratic Congress is likely to ask harder questions about defence cooperation, commercial deals and Pakistan’s governance record, and some proposed investment initiatives may become harder to advance.

The Foreign Office’s message was designed to answer that worry before it hardens into policy. By stressing that Pakistan has worked with every American government, Khan was signalling that the relationship is not tied to one man’s political fortunes. It was a message for the Democrats as well: Pakistan wants to work with the new Congress, not around it.

Other capitals reacted cautiously: China stressed continuity in its approach to Washington, while some European leaders hoped for shifts in US policy on Ukraine and climate change.

For Pakistan, the stakes are practical. The United States is one of its largest trading partners and a key source of investment. Counterterrorism cooperation matters to both countries, as militant groups remain active along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border. And the minerals sector — where Pakistan holds significant reserves of copper, gold and rare earths — is one of the few areas where American investors have shown fresh interest. All of that needs a working relationship with Congress, not just with the White House.

The Afghan deportation plan still under discussion

One of the most sensitive items on the briefing agenda was a US proposal to deport Afghan nationals from the United States through Pakistani territory. Khan confirmed that Pakistan was in discussions with US authorities over the plan, and that Islamabad was still examining it.

“The matter is currently under consideration, and all relevant aspects are being carefully examined in consultation with the stakeholders concerned. We are hopeful that a mutually agreeable way forward will be reached,” he said.

He did not say whether Pakistan was prepared to allow the transfers, and he gave no timeline. Asked about the possible arrangement, he said: “We want a proper solution to emerge. What that solution will be, you will find out in due course.”

The discussions follow reports that the Trump administration is considering deporting around 150 Afghan nationals detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, mainly at facilities in Louisiana, to Pakistan, from where they could be transferred to Afghanistan. The absence of formal diplomatic relations between Washington and the Taliban authorities in Kabul has made direct deportations difficult. Under the reported plan, Pakistan would serve as a transit point for the onward return of Afghan nationals to their country.

The issue is politically delicate in Pakistan. The country already hosts one of the world’s largest Afghan refugee populations, and it has been carrying out its own campaign to return undocumented Afghans. Agreeing to act as a transit route for American deportations would be a major decision, and one that would need the agreement of Pakistan’s security and political leadership. The Foreign Office’s careful language — “under consideration”, “mutually agreeable way forward” — suggests no decision has been made yet.

Sikh pilgrims and the Kartarpur question

Khan also used the briefing to say Pakistan was ready to welcome Sikh pilgrims for the 557th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism, later this month. Preparations are under way for celebrations at Nankana Sahib, the town in Punjab where Guru Nanak was born, and Pakistan is ready to facilitate pilgrims from India and elsewhere.

“The 1974 Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines provides the framework for such visits between the two countries,” Khan said.

The message came with a pointed note: pilgrim movement through the Kartarpur Corridor — the visa-free crossing that allows Indian Sikhs to visit the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan — remains suspended by India. The corridor, opened in 2019, has become a symbol of how even religious and people-to-people contact between the two neighbours depends on the state of their political relationship.

Asked about the reported interest of the chief minister of India’s Punjab in visiting Pakistan, Khan said Islamabad would consider issuing him a visa if he wished to travel. Whether New Delhi would allow him to make the trip was a separate matter, he added.

The pilgrim issue is a reminder that Pakistan’s diplomacy is not only about great powers. Religious tourism and cross-border visits are a regular part of the Foreign Office’s work, and they often continue even when political relations are strained.

Mediation, and an invitation to New Delhi

The briefing also touched on Pakistan’s role as a mediator between the United States and Iran. Khan said Pakistan continued to support Qatar’s diplomatic initiative to end the conflict between the US and Iran, and that the nuclear issue had emerged as one of the main points of contention in the negotiations.

“Nuclear is now one of the main contentious items under discussion between the US and Iran,” he said, adding that Pakistan supported a resolution “within the framework permitted under the NPT and mutually agreed upon by both sides”. The NPT is the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the global agreement that governs nuclear weapons and civilian nuclear programmes.

Khan said Qatar and other regional countries were also playing an active role in mediation. “We support any country that is able to bring the two sides towards a peaceful resolution of the dispute in our region. Pakistan is fully supportive of any such initiative,” he said.

Pakistan has described its mediation role as a significant achievement. According to the Foreign Office, Islamabad helped bring Washington and Tehran to the negotiating table after decades without direct engagement, and the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding in Islamabad. Pakistan has said it is prepared to resume its mediation role if the need arises.

In a separate development, Khan confirmed that Pakistan had received India’s invitation to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Civilisation Forum, scheduled for 20–22 November in New Delhi. No decision has been taken on participation.

The invitation is notable because Pakistan and India rarely meet in multilateral forums at a time when their bilateral relationship is frozen. The SCO is a regional grouping that includes China, Russia, India, Pakistan and several Central Asian states. Whether Pakistan attends, and at what level, will be watched closely as a signal of how Islamabad is balancing its regional diplomacy.

Khan also noted that Trump had been nominated for a Nobel Prize for his role in preventing a war between Pakistan and India, and said Pakistan had made every possible effort to facilitate dialogue and prevent escalation in the region.

What happens next

The next few weeks will show whether Pakistan’s message of continuity is matched by action in Washington. Three things are worth watching.

First, the new Congress. When the Democrats take control in January, their early moves on foreign policy will set the tone. Pakistan will be watching for signs of how the new House and Senate leadership view the partnership — and whether the deals and understandings reached under Trump survive congressional scrutiny.

Second, the Afghan deportation proposal. If Pakistan and the United States reach an agreement, it would be a concrete test of the relationship’s depth. If the talks stall, it would show the limits of what Islamabad is willing to do for Washington.

Third, the mediation track. Pakistan’s role between the US and Iran depends on trust from both sides. As the conflict continues and new American strikes raise tensions, Islamabad’s ability to keep both sides talking will be tested again.

For now, Pakistan’s position is clear. The government in Islamabad is telling Washington — and the world — that it does not pick American presidents. It works with whoever wins. The question is whether the new Congress in Washington will take the same view of Pakistan.

Frequently asked questions

What did Pakistan say about the US midterm results?

Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said Pakistan had “maintained excellent relations with all governments, irrespective of who is in power, and this will continue”. He called the US an important partner in trade, investment, security, counterterrorism and minerals.

Who won the 2026 US midterm elections?

The Democratic Party won control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, according to Associated Press projections. The Democrats won at least seven Senate seats from the Republicans and passed the 218-seat mark needed for a House majority. The new Congress takes control on 3 January 2027.

What is the Afghan deportation plan?

The Trump administration is reported to be considering deporting around 150 Afghan nationals detained by US immigration authorities to Pakistan, from where they could be transferred to Afghanistan. Pakistan says the matter is under consideration and no agreement has been reached.

Why are Sikh pilgrims in the news?

Pakistan is preparing to welcome Sikh pilgrims for the 557th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji at Nankana Sahib later this month. Pilgrim movement through the Kartarpur Corridor remains suspended by India.

What is the SCO Civilisation Forum?

It is a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation scheduled for 20–22 November in New Delhi. Pakistan has received India’s invitation but has not yet decided whether to attend.

Conclusion

Pakistan’s message to Washington is simple, and it is deliberately boring: nothing changes. The Foreign Office wants the world to believe that the partnership with the United States runs deeper than one election, one president or one Congress.

That is a sensible position for a country that needs American trade, investment and security cooperation. But it is also a gamble. The relationship of the past two years was built on personal ties with Trump and his circle. The Democrats who now control Congress were not part of that bargain, and they will have their own questions about it.

Islamabad’s answer is to offer the same partnership to the new Congress that it offered to the old White House. Whether Washington accepts it on the same terms is the test that begins now.

Sources

• Dawn, “Pakistan looking at US ties beyond Trump, says FO”, 7 November 2026: https://www.dawn.com/news/2042706
• The Express Tribune, “Pakistan says US midterm results won’t unravel ties”, 7 November 2026: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2639098/pakistan-says-us-midterm-results-wont-unravel-ties?amp=1
• SAMAA TV, “Pakistan brought Iran, US to negotiating table after 47 years: FO”, 7 November 2026: https://www.samaa.tv/2087359789-pakistan-s-sincere-efforts-brought-iran-us-to-negotiating-table-after-47-years-fo
• Al Jazeera, “Democrats win control of House and Senate: Key US midterms takeaways”, 4 November 2026: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/11/4/democrats-win-control-of-house-and-senate-key-us-midterms-takeaways?traffic_source=rss
• Nikkei Asia, “US midterms live: Democrats win both Senate and House in election rout”, 4 November 2026: https://asia.nikkei.com/politics/u.s.-midterm-elections/us-midterms-live-democrats-win-both-senate-and-house-in-election-rout

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.