As floodwaters recede, some Pakistanis view US differently

Ad Pakistan struggles to cope with a devastating flood, the U.S. has stepped in, delivering aid, boxes of biscuits and sacks of flour, and evacuating people from flooded areas by helicopter. The U.S. has become the single biggest international donor to Pakistan during these troubles and their presence and aid has shifted Pakistani perceptions of America. However, this may not necessarily mean a consistently positive relationship on a political level.

The BBC’s Jill McGivering travelled to the Swat region in Pakistan, the site of a Pakistani military offensive against the Taliban last year after fierce pressure from the United States. She found that attitudes toward the U.S. have changed somewhat since the flooding.

Shuja Nawaz, director of the South Asia Center of the Atlantic Council, thinks it’s far too early to determine the longterm effects of this goodwill. “Changing image takes a long time,” he said.

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