US to still humour Pak, so India must make own path
The observations of US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, on Pakistan before the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee last Monday, and the reflections of Congressmen who spoke sharply about Pakistan’s “duplicity” in dealing with terrorism and the Taliban, have raised public expectations here that Washington may be about to reverse its decades-long policy of indulgence toward Islamabad. This appears unrealistic.
“While harbouring members of the Taliban…Pakistan’s also involved in different points of cooperation with us on counterterrorism” the secretary of state noted. Asked if it was time for the US to reassess its relationship with Islamabad, and its status as a major non-Nato ally, he replied that this was something the US would consider.
“For the reasons you cited (he told Congressman Joaquim Castro who had brought up the matter of Pakistan having harboured the Taliban) as well as others, this is one of the things we will be looking at in the days and weeks ahead, the role that Pakistan has played over the last 20 years and the role we would want to see it play in the coming years and what it will take for it to do that,” Mr. Blinken said.
It is plain to see that the terms of America’s ignominious ouster from Afghanistan derive from Pakistan having given birth to the Taliban, nurturing it politically and militarily, and then deftly guiding Taliban’s foray through clever, duplicitous diplomacy with the US.
This has indeed caused suspicion to be raised that America allowed Pakistan’s game to succeed. Washington’s purpose was to extricate itself from Afghanistan- a goal that President Joe Biden pursued with the same vigour as his predecessor Donald Trump. Such an object could only be gained by giving Pakistan — and the Taliban — a free run, in the process and, through the logic of things, deceiving the then government of Afghanistan and off-siding India, otherwise America’s much-proclaimed ally.
Mr Blinken’s carefully chosen words are instructive. Even after the political, diplomatic and military defeat in Afghanistan which have brought the US nothing but derision, the secretary of state believes that Pakistan “is involved in different points of cooperation with us on counterterrorism”. The hollowness of such a claim will no doubt be noted worldwide, more so in India. India has not benefited from Pakistan’s so-called cooperative attitude on counterterrorism, and must craft its own political and military response to terrorism against it emanating from Pakistan and now possibly Afghanistan. America’s value as an ally can indeed be questioned.
What the Biden administration probably has in mind is that it should continue to engage Pakistan — and through it the Taliban government — in order to protect the US mainland from terrorist attacks even when the Pakistan-Taliban-China axis is in full bloom. It would appear this will be the primary focus of US policy toward Pakistan that Mr Blinken is hinting at. In order to stay in the game, Washington apparently has no recourse other than to continue humouring Islamabad.
So as Pakistan and Afghanistan are concerned, it is imperative that New Delhi fashion its own path. Our policy objectives differ from those of the US in basic ways even if there may be elements of similarity, or occasionally even coincidence, at the tactical level. It seems the government is still working through the maze to find its nous. Holding on to the apron strings of another power will be counter-productive.
What the Biden
administration probably has in
mind is that it should continue to engage Pakistan —
and through it the Taliban government