“I will work to build the trust that we need for an effective partnership with Pakistan”. In his written submission to the Senate Armed Services Committee he clarified that he would first confirm if there are externally-focused militant groups operating with impunity within Pakistan. In his submission he said, “If confirmed, I will work with the State Department and the Congress to incentivise Pakistan’s co-operation on issues critical to our national interests and the region’s security, with focus on Pakistan’s need to expel or neutralise externally-focused militant groups that operate within its borders…”
Where Defence Secretary asked Pakistan to collaborate with India he also stressed on Washington to urge Pakistan to take further actions against the Taliban and the Haqqani network. In fact, the new leadership in US has come up with an open mind and would not tow past policies without confirmation. New Delhi had been bitter enemy of Pakistan, especially through black propaganda war against Pakistan including allegations of involvement in state sponsored terrorism. It is India which polluted the minds of policy makers in Washington that Haqqani network is linked to Al Qaeda and is involved in several deadly attacks against Western and Indian interests in Afghanistan, including the 2008 bombing of the Indian mission in Kabul.
No one can deny that Afghans and Pakistanis are same nation, divided by Durand Line and living in separate countries. They have freedom of movement as Afghanistan being landlocked would face difficulty in survival without Pakistan. Nevertheless, operational issue are faced by the Afghan security forces as Afghan consider that they are still under foreign occupation and must do something to expel the foreign presence. Before analysing the scenario, we must understand that combat role of US and NATO forces is over and they should fulfil their commitments and pledges for the development and strengthening of Afghanistan but it is not happening. In addition, India is a strong pressure group, which has expansionist designs is good in psychological operations as well as black propaganda and had have always been a bitter enemy of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
Islamabad, cannot ask Afghan brothers and sisters to just leave Pakistan on the grounds that there are some undesired Afghan elements present in Pakistan, who are cause of insecurity for the government in Kabul. One wonders there are instances where foreign nationals in US were involved in similar acts of militancy or terrorism but did someone ask nationals from the same countries to leave USA? Washington, especially the new leadership must understand that the officers and staff on the payroll of American agencies in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and Iran are the real cause of unrest as not only they are furnishing wrong fabricated information to their masters but are also engaged in sponsoring and funding acts of terrorism to prove their credibility. It is high time that Pakistan must cooperate with new leadership in US to expose the elements behind this dirty game and clarify the levelled allegations.
