In its about a hundred page annual report to the US Congress, the Pentagon has severely criticized Pakistan for not being able to contain terrorist and their activities on its soil and especially in the Af-Pak region. Normally, Pentagon has been always projecting Pakistan in positive terms and treating it an ally in US’ international strategies. Pentagon is cross with Pakistan for not doing enough to contain the Haqqani group and the Al-Qaeda. It has said that militant activities along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border have increased because Pakistan is not doing enough to contain terrorist organizations on its soil. The terrorists get safe havens in Pakistan. Pentagon has strictly warned Pakistan to deny safe havens to the terrorists active in Afghanistan and added that Pakistan’s inability to curb their activities could have adverse impact on security relations between the two countries. It has to be reminded that the Defence Secretary has declined the normal certification to Pakistan and the Congress has blocked USD 300 million in Coalition Support Fund to Pakistan.
However, it has to be understood that the warning and criticism of the Pentagon about Pakistan essentially deals with US interest in Afghanistan and the security of the region. The report does not touch on the activities of Pakistan based terrorists groups against India in Kashmir or elsewhere. It is a commentary on trilateral security relations among the US, Afghanistan and Pakistan. We would have highly appreciated if the US had made clear and unambiguous mention of Pakistan-based terrorist organizations like Let, JM and others active in some parts of India and demanded their dismantling.
Nevertheless, the report of the Pentagon categorically states that Pakistan is soft paddling with the terrorist organizations and at the same time adopting double standards of telling the US that she is not giving them any quarter. The Pentagon in its blunt message to Pakistan has said the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region remains a sanctuary for various groups. These include the Taliban, al Qaeda, AQIS, the Haqqani Network, Lashkar-e Toiba, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, IS-K, and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. This sanctuary and these groups remain a security challenge for both countries and pose a threat to regional stability and security. With this clear perception of security threat posed to the region by Pakistan, it would be in fitness of things if the US imposes such sanctions on Pakistan as would be highly effective in paralyzing all these terrorist organizations and their handlers in Pakistan army and intelligence organization.
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