Daily Times

This week top US lawmaker Senator McCain issued a stern warning to Pakistan, to take tougher action against the Haqqani network if they wish to remain close allies with the US and avoid US sanctions.

Senator McCain, who heads the Senate Armed Services Committee led a group of top US lawmakers to Pakistan last week, where they met with the countries key military and government officials to discuss bilateral relations, counterterrorism efforts and the recently revived Quadrilateral Coordination group. McCain – accompanied by Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator David Perdue, Senator Lindsey Graham and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, he said abut his visit, “We have made it very clear that we expect they [Pakistan] will cooperate with us, particularly against the Haqqani network and against terrorist organizations.” His cautionary words continued, “If they don’t change their behavior, maybe we should change our behavior towards Pakistan as a nation.” McClain delivered the statement at a press briefing in Kabul, Afghanistan on Tuesday.

The rebuke followed a visit to Pakistan just days before – despite reassurances given by Pakistan’s army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa that Pakistan had severed its ties with the Haqqani militant group, no longer provided the group sanctuary and any members caught inside Pakistan’s borders would be arrested. A military statement released about the meeting, also stressed the importance of security cooperation and coordination between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Whilst in Islamabad the US delegation also held talks with Pakistan’s political delegation led by Foreign Policy Advisor, Sartaj Aziz. McCain told them, the US position on Kashmir had not changed and it would continue with its current policy.

In a statement released after the briefing Aziz, noted that Islamabad was ready to strengthen and deepen its partnership with Washington to counter “the expanding footprint in the region” of Islamic State terrorists. The Pakistani statement also quoted McCain as appreciating contributions and sacrifices by Islamabad in the fight against terrorism, and underscored the importance of continued engagement between the two countries.

Criticisms of Pakistan’s dealing with militant groups was also aired by Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who recently said, “It is absolutely unacceptable that a country provides sanctuary to terrorist groups which are responsible for terrorist attacks inside another country.” The scathing rhetoric delivered by both the US lawmaker and Nato’s leader is supported by a recently published US Pentagon report. The report stated Pakistan as the most influential external factor that needs to do more with its efforts to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan, noting that sustained Pakistani efforts were not observed during its six-month reporting period, 1stDecember 2016 – May 31st2017 and proposed steps that Pakistan should take to improve the security situation in the region and deny safe havens to terrorist and militant groups.

The report also tried to explain the rationale behind Pakistan’s support for certain militant groups attributing: Pakistan’s historical concerns about India’s influence in the country that stymie positive Pakistani involvement and Pakistan’s India-centric policy objectives towards its neighbor. As a result of perceived Indian threats the reports said, militant groups and terrorists “retain their freedom of action and support from elements of the Pakistani government.”

US – Pakistani relations are now defined by the war in Afghanistan – the longest military engagement in US history. Dan Markey, academic director of the Global Policy Program at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Washington, D.C., believes “Pakistan’s actions and policies have left American analysts to think that Pakistani’s assumed the US would eventually leave,” he explained because Pakistan has stuck by its traditional allies, 16 years later, these same groups continue to provide Pakistan significant influence over Afghanistan’s future – despite being a spoiler in the US – Pakistani relationship. President Trump’s administration increasingly feel that Pakistan is undermining its US objectives in Afghanistan. Last month, in a testimony before the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said, “We’re going to have to look at a more regional strategy, one that takes into account Afghanistan as part of South Asia, not look at it in isolation.”

Trump’s administration recently hinted that It’s considering pursuing a harder stance on Pakistan, some US lawmakers believe one route may be cutting the amount of foreign aid the US provides Pakistan – the sixth largest recipient of foreign aid – it receives almost $1 billion annually. A new US strategy for Afghanistan is expected to be revealed in the next few weeks as the Pentagon completes its review of US policy in Afghanistan and the region.

Published in Daily Times, July 9^th , 2017.