Pakistan uses terror groups to combat Indian army: US

NEW DELHI: Islamabad is using militant groups as proxies to combat India’s military might, the Pentagon has told the US Congress, supporting New Delhi’s long-held position on Pakistan’s proxy war against India.

"Afghan-and Indian-focused militants continue to operate from Pakistan to the detriment of Afghan and regional stability. Pakistan uses these proxy forces to hedge against the loss of influence in Afghanistan and to counter India’s superior military," the Pentagon told the Congress in its latest six-monthly report on the current situation in Afghanistan tabled recently.

Successive Indian governments since the late 1980s have accused Pakistan of waging proxy-war both in Jammu and Kashmir and Afghanistan against Indian security forces. "These relationships run counter to Pakistan’s public commitment to support Afghan-led reconciliation.

Such groups continue to act as the primary irritant in Afghan-Pakistan bilateral relations," the Pentagon said in the report running into more than 100 pages. The report is titled ‘Report on Progress Toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan’.

However, strategic affairs experts refused to read much into this report. "While this report is commendable, it doesn’t speak about Pakistan’s proxy war in J&K. Besides, US leaders have been speaking against Pakistan’s proxy war against India and in that sense this report is nothing new. The report is half-useful," opined former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal.

Former High Commissioner to Pakistan G Parthasarathy refused to attach much significance to the Pentagon report. "This report indicates that the US is advising Pakistan to strike a deal with Taliban. In fact the India-US Joint statement during the PM’s visit talks about all terror groups in the region minus Taliban," noted Parthasarathy.