The double game of Washington

[niazikhan2]

ISLAMABAD: While Washington is eager to strike a peace deal with rapidly dominating Taliban in Afghanistan, it is pressing Islamabad to launch a major military offensive against Pak-friendly Taliban in North Waziristan, an action that will multiply the horrors of already reeling Pakistan.
The Pakistan Army has been resisting Washington’s pressure to launch a military operation in North Waziristan primarily to target the pro-Pakistan Haqqani group. However, the latest media reports suggest that a decision has been taken in this respect. If true, it is a serious cause of concern for Pakistan.
Military authorities have yet to confirm the report, which said a decision had been taken to launch the military offensive in North Waziristan, the tribal area adjacent to Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan.
Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf chief Imran Khan sounded quite disappointed with this reported decision and feared that if the military operation was launched, it would have dangerous implications for Pakistan. Talking to this correspondent, he said that distancing from the US war on terror was the key to bring back peace within Pakistan or he has already warned that this war may create a serious rift within the Pakistan Army.
Interestingly, while the Taliban leadership in Afghanistan is not interested in any rapprochement with the US and Nato forces and is instead struggling to push the foreign forces out of the Afghan soil, Washington is not allowing Pakistan to talk peace with the local Taliban, whose focus of attack is Pakistan Army, intelligence agencies, security and military installations, police, other law enforcing agencies and some selected civilian targets.
Top military commanders have been sharing with media-men, in recent background interactions, their reluctance to launch military operations in the NWA on the desires of Washington. These military commanders have been sharing the view that such an action would mean making more enemies for Pakistan.
Instead of understanding the pains of Pakistan and allowing it to overcome terrorism through negotiated solution to become stable enough to address the concerns of the international community, the US continues with its drone attacks in the tribal areas, a move that massively contributes towards furthering terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.
Here everyone knows that the apparent target of the US drones is those Taliban leaders and fighters, who take part in Jihad against the US and Nato forces inside Afghanistan, whereas those earmarked as “bad Taliban” for Pakistan are spared and never targeted despite repeated requests to the US in the past.
Former corps commanders, Peshawar, Lt Gen Safdar, and Lt Gen Ali Jan Orakzai (both now retired) during their tenures had entered into peace deals with the Taliban leaders but every time the US drones sabotaged these deals and in return multiplied Pakistan’s problems.
Parliament, in its Oct 2008 resolution, sought for a negotiated solution to the problem of terrorism and extremism. However, no serious talks were initiated with the Pakistani Taliban, including the TTP.
On the contrary, a few more military operations were launched. Coupled with the drone attacks, these military operations fueled extremism and furthered terrorist attacks. Pakistani security officials though still claim that they can negotiate a peace deal with the local Taliban, there exists a serious mistrust between the two sides.
Even some respected and influential go-betweens have not much faith in the government to help strike a peace deal. Sheikhul Hadith Akora Khttak Dr Sher Ali is one respected name, who reportedly could talk to the TTP leaders and its chief Hakeemullah Mahsud. A few other respected names including that of Justice Taqi Usmani and Mufti Muhammad Naeem are also believed to be in the same category.
One of these revered religious scholars has helped the authorities in the past to talk to local Taliban and had even secured the release of Chinese engineers. Sources said that these religious scholars could play a vital role for a peace deal between the Pakistani authorities and Taliban groups, particularly the most influential TTP, but such an initiative requires the implementation of the parliamentary resolutions and solid commitment of the authorities that they would stand by their word.



The double game of Washington