New Delhi, June 3 -- A common criticism of European foreign policy is that the European bloc often follows the United States on major geopolitical issues, including its engagement with Pakistan. No doubt, the EU's approach toward Pakistan has historically been influenced by American strategic priorities, but between the years Europe has also developed distinct interests and policy instruments that differentiate its relationship with Islamabad from that of Washington.

Historically, Pakistan's importance to Western policymakers was largely defined through a US security lens. During the Cold War, the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, the post-9/11 war on terrorism, and the NATO mission in Afghanistan, European engagement with Pakistan was...