Afghan conflict has turned into “bread and butter” for Pakistan. From backing Afghan Mujahedeen during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to posing as an ally in the US-led global war on terror, Pakistan has historically played a doubled game. Islamabad’s is showing that it is supporting the global war on terrorism, and has therefore received billions of dollars in aid from the international community, but in reality, it is the Pakistan’s state support for the Taliban that has gridlocked the US-led war in Afghanistan. Islamabad has always played the victim card, but it is indeed the major state sponsor of global terrorist networks and non-state actors. The footsteps of the leaders of the majority of notorious terror groups in the world trace back to Pakistan, and the killing of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Islamabad is a textbook example.
Afghan peace process provided Pakistan with yet another opportunity to use it as a bargaining chip to secure concessions from the United States. While US President Donald Trump appeared to have adopted a tougher line on Pakistan at the earlier months of his presidency, Washington again caved in to make concessions to the very country that has stalemated America’s longest war in history due to its state support for the militants. Islamabad again succeeded to deceive Washington in the pretext of dragging the Taliban to the negotiating table with Americans. As part of the new concessions to Islamabad, the United States even went on to declare the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a major headache for Pakistan, as a global terrorist outfit.
But Pakistan has not restricted itself to these concessions; it is now seeking further concessions from the United States in relation to the Kashmiri conflict in return for its support in Afghan peace. While India has decided to revoke the India-administered Kashmir’s special status and integrate it with India through a presidential decree, Pakistan accuses India of trying to derail Afghan peace efforts through the move.
Pakistan’s National Security Council has said in a statement that while Islamabad’s attention is centered on the political settlement of Afghan conflict, India is exploiting the situation. This shows that Pakistan is linking Afghan conflict to the Kashmir issue, and is therefore seeking more concessions from the United States. Regardless of whether India’s decision on Kashmir is right or wrong, Islamabad is tying the issue to Afghanistan solely to secure more concessions. Americans and Afghan sides of the war need to be careful about Pakistan’s game, and avoid making unilateral concessions to Islamabad.