While praising India for supporting a variety of high-visibility projects and initiatives in Afghanistan, a recently released US Department of Defence report has made scathing comments on Pakistan for using militant groups as proxies to counter the superior Indian military setup. In a blunt assessment of terrorist safe havens in Pakistan, the Pentagon report has recorded that "Afghan- and Indian-focused militants continue to operate from Pakistan territory to the detriment of Afghan and regional stability."
Analysts here believe the report was the first public admission of a distinct "Pakistan fatigue" creeping in the President Barack Obama Administration. "Pakistan uses these proxy forces to hedge against the loss of influence in Afghanistan and to counter India's superior military," the Pentagon's latest six- monthly report on the current situation in Afghanistan said.
Pakistan Army's India obsession has even lost it the US assistance in 2010, when President Obama had attempted to engage Pakistan military leadership under the then army chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani.
The report released in Washington on October 31 has brought cheers in India, with officials here saying they had been trying to tell Washington this for over past many decades. Official spokesperson in external affairs ministry Syed Akbaruddin said, "It manifests a growing acknowledgment in the international community of the extent of Pakistan's involvement in international terrorism."
The 100-page report states that Taliban attacks in Afghanistan launched from sanctuaries in Pakistan remain a serious problem. "These sanctuaries exist primarily in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Baluchistan," the report said.
While acknowledging that Pakistan's military had made gains against the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan and foreign fighters in the FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during a major military operation, Afghan- and Indian-focused militants continue to operate from Pakistan territory to the detriment of Afghan and regional stability.
The report says the an air of suspicion has surrounded the relationship between Kabul and Islamabad, inhibiting bilateral cooperation on border security protocols. But hopes the new Afghan President, Dr Ashraf Ghani, will seek to change this dynamic.
Pakistan made some progress on interdicting and disrupting the production of IED components, but still falls short despite greater engagement and recent cooperation. A significant portion of the materials, which perpetuate the conflict, continue to emanate from or transit through Pakistan. Cross-border incidents and lingering mistrust remain points of tension in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations.
Herat connection
Referring to the attack on the Indian Consulate in Herat, the Pentagon said this was done just ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister of India. "In May of this reporting period, the Indian consulate in Herat Province was attacked by a group of four heavily armed militants. The attack came three days prior to the swearing-in of the new Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Prime Minister Modi is perceived as being close to Hindu nationalist groups, a fact that may have played into the timing of the attack," it said.
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