‘ Weak Pak govt threat to India’

Even though India is closely monitoring the political situation in Pakistan, Central intelligence agencies, in a classified report submitted to the government on Monday, have clearly stated that “a weak Nawaz Sharif government is against India’s security and strategic interests”.’ Highly- placed government sources said the importance that India is attaching to the fast- changing developments in Pakistan can be judged from the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is currently on a visit to Japan, was also being constantly updated about Pakistan developments.

The report, that has been submitted to key ministries and details of which have been accessed by this newspaper, also goes on to mention that “Sharif government had been able to keep activities of the Pakistan Army and the ISI under check to a large extent. This has a direct impact on India’s security scenario. But a fluid political situation in Pakistan makes both the Army and the ISI more powerful and then they would surly pursue their anti- India agenda more aggressively”.’

Intelligence agencies have also advised the Government that security along the India- Pakistan border should be beefed up considerably in view of the ongoing crisis in Pakistan.

According to the report Pakistan’s security agencies, particularly the Army, is said to be playing an important role in “covertly supporting” the ongoing agitation against the Sharif government. “This is precisely the reason why the agitation has been so successful even without widespread support across the country,” the report adds.

“The very fact that Sharif attended Narendra Modi’s swearing in ceremony that too against the wishes of the Pak Army goes on to prove that he not only wanted to keep Army at length from government functioning, but also wanted to better relations with India,” a senior government official said.