Islamabad, July 21 (ANI): Pakistan's 'duality' on the Afghan issue may instigate the U.S. to abandon the country and withdraw all support, including the critical economic support it currently provides to the country, according to an editorial.
According to the Daily Times, the US House of Representatives' move to cut 650 million dollars from military aid to Pakistan marks the culmination of a series of events set in motion not long after 9/11. With the benefit of hindsight, it becomes easier to understand a particularly discontented narrative from Washington that pockets in Pakistan's military might well have leveraged their Taliban assets to hedge against unpredictable developments in Afghanistan.
The editorial revealed that the much-debated 180-degree U-turn in 2001 was, in effect, to only 90 degrees, with those at the helm ditching Al-Qaeda, hanging on to the Afghan Taliban and providing it with safe havens and support before being unleashed once again against the Western forces.
However, the editorial cited that now things have seemingly reached a tipping point as sections of the media and intelligentsia tracing the deterioration in the relationship to the Raymond Davis affair, the Abbottabad raid and Salala incident tend to overlook this important thread.
One reason such concerns did not find many high-level adherents in the early days was President Bush's 'tight buddy' relationship with General Musharraf, as so long as both were around, the need for deep examination of Pakistani policy or a detailed audit of funds to Islamabad was not felt, the editorial said.
But the visible departure that now marks core US policy came from President Obama's examination of the fortunes of the war, and it was then that Pakistan's 'duality' found increasing resonance in official US circles and the matter took centre-stage in all subsequent interactions, the editorial added.
The editorial pointed out that the House's move against the Haqqanis, if it is passed into law, will force Islamabad to take a decision about the network and its worth, or otherwise, subsequent UN sanctions for harbouring a terrorist organization are sure to follow.
Pakistan's military and intelligence circles, must therefore, bring clarity to their position, especially in the proxy war project, as it is a long-term liability, the editorial said, adding that the nation's policy should reflect the real situation of persistent terrorism and a collapsing economy, as overreaching at this point will cost Pakistan heavily. (ANI)
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