DiplomacyThe alliance era
Eisenhower's two days in Karachi
The first sitting US president to visit Pakistan came at the high point of the alliance.
1 min read
Karachi, December 1959
Sindh, on the Arabian Sea
24° 52′ N · 67° 01′ E
Karachi, December 1959
Sindh, on the Arabian Sea
24° 52′ N · 67° 01′ E
What happened
President Eisenhower left Washington on 3 December 1959 on a tour of 11 countries in three weeks. He arrived in Karachi at 3.30 pm on 7 December and left at 8.20 am on 9 December, after an informal visit during which he met President Ayub Khan and Finance Minister Mohammed Shoaib1,2. It was the first visit to Pakistan by a sitting American president1.
The two presidents met on the morning of 8 December3. Their joint statement, released in Karachi, said they had reviewed world political questions and relations between the free world and the Sino-Soviet bloc, and agreed on the importance of cooperation among free nations for their mutual security. Ayub explained the steps his government was taking to strengthen the country, including his "basic democracies" plan and progress towards a new constitution4.
Why it mattered
The visit marked the warmest point of the relationship under Eisenhower, eight months after the Ankara agreement and five months after the Peshawar facility agreement. From Karachi Eisenhower flew on to India, a reminder that Washington sought good relations with both countries1,5.
Sources
- Travels of the President: Pakistan, Office of the Historian, US Department of State · Official
- Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Volume XV, Editorial Note 374, Office of the Historian, US Department of State · Primary document
- Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Volume XV, Document 375: Memorandum of a Conversation, Karachi, December 8, 1959, 9 a.m., Office of the Historian, US Department of State, 8 December 1959 · Primary document
- Joint Statement Following Discussions With President Ayub Khan, The American Presidency Project, UC Santa Barbara, 8 December 1959 · Primary document
- Dwight D. Eisenhower – Travels of the President, Office of the Historian, US Department of State · Official
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