Pak has to end dangerous double Afghan game to stay in ‘US’ good books’: Editorial

ISLAMABAD - After the leak of classified US military documents proved links between Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Taliban, an editorial in a leading Pakistan daily has said that country needs to clarify its position “beyond a shadow of a doubt if it wants to stay in the US’s good books”.

The editorial in the Daily Times said that it is crucial to clear the situation, as Pakistan cannot overlook the billions of dollars in aid that it has received from the US since 2001.

“Now that these documents are out in the open for all to see, voices in the US have already started to emerge and will get louder with each passing day about Pakistan biting the hand that feeds it, in fact chewing it off till the elbow,” the editorial said.

“Despite being hit hard by the global recession, the US continued to support Pakistan financially. The outrage in the American media is understandable and soon it will change public opinion to an extent that might lead to US aid being cut off or at the very least being reduced or delayed,” it added.

The editorial further admitted that it is time that Pakistan quits playing games with the security of the world at large, and the region in particular.

“It has been known for years now that our security establishment’s skewed policies vis-�-vis the Taliban have pushed the country and the region into a quagmire of disaster. General Musharraf played a dual game with the Americans by handing over Al-Qaeda members while giving protection and rear base areas to the Afghan Taliban,” the editorial said.

“That same policy is continuing under General Kayani, the only difference being that the local Taliban are being hunted down but the Afghan Taliban are being protected for a post-withdrawal Afghanistan,” it added. (ANI)