Milind Deora: Father Helped Challenge US-Pakistan Paradigm

Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora has recalled his late father Murli Deora’s role in strengthening India’s engagement with US policymakers, saying he worked with American lawmakers to challenge the traditional US-Pakistan relationship and promote a more balanced approach towards the Indian subcontinent. Milind Deora made the remarks while responding to a social media discussion around a resurfaced interview of former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf.

In the old interview, Musharraf reflected on Pakistan’s changing relationship with Washington, saying the country had been “the most allied ally” of the United States from 1947 to 1989 because of its role during the Cold War and cooperation against the Soviet Union. He said the relationship subsequently deteriorated, with Pakistan becoming “the most sanctioned ally” between 1989 and 2001. Musharraf cited the suspension of F-16 deliveries, successive sanctions and the growing US strategic engagement with India as signs that Washington had shifted away from Islamabad.

The discussion later turned to the role of former US Congressman Stephen Solarz, who was closely involved in South Asia policy and was known for raising concerns about Pakistan’s nuclear programme. An X user referred to Solarz’s relationship with Murli Deora and argued that the US congressman had played an important role in Washington’s changing approach towards the region. The user also said Musharraf’s description of Pakistan being “used” and subsequently abandoned was understandable.

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Milind Deora responded, “Absolutely,” before highlighting his father’s involvement with US political figures. “Proud that my late father, Murli Deora, worked with US counterparts including late Congressman Stephen Solarz & Senator Larry Pressler to challenge the old US-Pakistan paradigm & advance a more balanced Western approach to the Indian subcontinent,” he wrote. His comments brought renewed attention to Murli Deora’s political relationships in Washington and their relevance to India-US relations during a period of significant strategic change.

The shift in US policy towards Pakistan was influenced by several developments, including concerns over Islamabad’s nuclear programme. Two important congressional measures emerged in 1985: the Solarz Amendment, associated with Stephen Solarz, and the Pressler Amendment, sponsored by Senator Larry Pressler. The Pressler Amendment required the US President to certify that Pakistan did not possess a nuclear explosive device for American military assistance to continue. The certification eventually failed in 1990, leading to the suspension of US military assistance and new economic aid to Pakistan. Solarz was also among the lawmakers who pushed Washington to address Pakistan’s nuclear ambitions.

Murli Deora, a four-time MP and former Union minister, was not a US policymaker but developed a broad network of relationships with American political figures. Milind Deora had previously described his father’s proximity to US lawmakers, including Solarz and Pressler, as beneficial to India. His latest remarks have now linked that political network to Musharraf’s retrospective account of the transformation in US-Pakistan relations, highlighting how India sought to strengthen its position in Washington during the post-Cold War period.

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