BHOPAL : In a report submitted to the United States Congress, the Pentagon has laid bare the “double game” Pakistan has been playing with regard to its proclaimed support to the war against terrorism, says a former deputy chief of the army staff. “While professing support to the US and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s forces in Afghanistan, Pakistan has actually been sabotaging their efforts to tame militancy in that region. There can hardly be a clearer example of biting the hand that feeds,” Lieutenant General (Retd) Raj Kadyan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM said. The US has been pumping billions of dollars into Pakistan to solicit the latter’s support in combating the Taliban. “What is more relevant to us is the Pentagon’s assertion of Pakistan using proxy forces in an effort to counter India’s superior military. This is a mere reiteration of what India in particular, and the world in general, have known all along. Pakistan has been actively fighting the proxy war in Kashmir for the past 25 years. However, the report coming from the US — which has been sympathetic and supportive of Pakistan — should remove all doubts of Pakistan’s perfidy even among sceptics, if any,” the veteran said. Apart from the moral, diplomatic and political support that Pakistan officially claims it provides to the “freedom struggle”, there is ample evidence that the country has been training, arming and funding militants to continue “bleeding India to death” as Pakistani generals openly claimed prior to 9/11. “This report — submitted recently — confirms independently that Pakistan is still conducting a proxy war against India as well as another one against Afghanistan in order to control that country,” the former officer of the Rajputana Rifles Regiment said. Besides its content, the timing of the Pentagon report is also significant. It is no secret that the US knew of it all along but did not make it public due to national interests.
“During its campaign in Afghanistan, the US has been needing Pakistan’s roads to supply its troops. Also, the US required support
of the Inter-Services Intelligence, which is the motherboard of all
terror networks. Additionally, Pakistan has been providing intelligence for drone strikes in the Federally Administered Tribal
Areas while condemning them at the same time as violation of its sovereignty,” Lt Gen Kadyan said.
Despite being paid handsomely for these services, Pakistan did not fulfil its part of the bargain. Afghan Taliban are still being
hosted in Pakistan. The Haqqani network, a Pakistani proxy for destabilising Afghanistan, has prospered. “Not a single member of that group — or of the India-specific Lashkar-i-Tayyaba — has ever been either arrested or neutralised by
Pakistani forces thus far, including during the much-touted Operation Zarb-i-Azb,” the veteran said. Pakistan’s duplicity and sabotage of the war on terror have resulted in that conflict not achieving its goal of fully stabilising Afghanistan.
This could not have “endeared” Pakistan to the US and the NATO.
Also, the US could not have been amused on observing no visible gain
from the over 20 billion dollars it provided in civil and military
aid since 9/11. In fact, hostility towards the US is at an all-time
high in Pakistan.
“Those US national interests are losing their validity in view of
the impending draw-down of their forces from Afghanistan. With this
scaling down, Pakistan will lose most of its leverage. Publication
of the Pentagon report itself proves that point tellingly,” Lt Gen
Kadyan said.
Pakistan’s Army Chief is officially visiting the US shortly. The
US apparently did not consider his visit “consequential” enough to
delay the report. This, combined with the United Nations “ignoring”
Pakistani complaints against India’s alleged firing across the Line
of Control (LoC), essentially indicates the former country’s isolation.
“Any further US aid to it will be a mere token. In all likelihood, the US and others are no more likely to rush diplomats
to New Delhi asking India to show restraint in the unfortunate event
of another terrorist act or in its fight against the proxy war in Kashmir,” the former officer felt.
Despite international isolation, Pakistan’s anti-India fervour continues unabated.
“Pakistan has succeeded in turning Kashmir into a sore that has
been haemorrhaging our national energy and impeding our march to reach our deserved place in the global order. The current situation
provides India enough space should it decide to coerce Pakistan out
of meddling in Kashmir, which is a sine qua non for bringing peace
in the state,” the veteran explained. An opportunity that “eluded us for 67 years is now available for
us” to cure this ulcer for good. The political, diplomatic, economic
and military environment is conducive. “We should seize this opportunity. We should build multi-directional pressure on Pakistan. Thorough and aggressive domination of the LoC to prevent Pakistan from infiltrating jihadis
into Jammu and Kashmir is an obvious. So should it be on Sir Creek
and elsewhere along our coast to prevent continued harassment of our
fishermen. Our coast should be off limits to Pakistani fishing vessels,” the former officer said.
The attack on the Indian Consulate in Herat on May 23 went “largely unnoticed” because of a change of regime in India. “It affected both countries, India and Afghanistan. There is ample evidence of the Lashkar’s involvement. Even the Pentagon report has corroborated it. Both countries should lodge a simultaneous protest with Pakistan and demand action,” he said. Pakistan would of course “deny” everything, but the point would
have been made. That country has still not made any progress vis-a-vis the trial of terrorists who targeted Mumbai. Nor is it likely to do so.
“We should not let that gory attack be forgotten and keep pursuing the matter with vehement vigour. Even on the trade front,
we must tighten the screws and ensure that Pakistan gets no undue advantage from our neighbourly generosity,” Lt Gen Kadyan said. (AGENCIES)
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