A fresher playbook

Pakistan and America are unwilling bedfellows in a marriage of convenience but divorce is not an option


Editorial February 26, 2015
There is no more talk of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ Taliban and a more holistic approach to the problem of fighting terrorism is gradually producing results — at least in military and intelligence terms. PHOTO: AFP

There is a sense that there really has been an improvement in relations between Pakistan and the US — and that the improvement is producing results to the satisfaction of both parties. The head of Pakistan’s leading intelligence agency is in America for talks with his counterpart in the CIA along with other US officials in the intelligence community. They are unlikely to be discussing the price of eggs. It is also unlikely that the wider world will ever be privy to the details of their conversations, but the routine vanilla press briefing by “a security official” spoke of intelligence cooperation and “the current regional security situation with particular reference to Afghanistan”. With on-again, off-again talks with the Taliban being pursued by the Afghan premier in the last week, there is a complex geopolitical dynamic to be stage-managed. An amicable relationship between all the key players will ease the incipient tension considerably.



The sea change appears as much driven by the military as by the political leadership, and the appointment of Chief of Army Staff Raheel Sharif in November 2013 may now be seen as a critical juncture. Since his appointment, there have been closer diplomatic and intelligence ties, and Operation Zarb-e-Azb has blunted the Pakistani Taliban and taken on the Haqqani Network for the first time. There is no more talk of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ Taliban and a more holistic approach to the problem of fighting terrorism is gradually producing results — at least in military and intelligence terms.

What has yet to develop is the civilian counter-terrorism narrative to run in parallel with military operations, and that is a deficit that will grow with time and be exacerbated if there is continuing military success. A refreshing of the playbook used by regional and international actors was long overdue, and the happy accident of a new Afghan president with his own refreshing of the script means that all these developments are contributing to a dialling back of old tensions. Pakistan and America are unwilling bedfellows in a marriage of convenience but divorce is not an option. The relationship will endure, the playbook refreshed.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 27th,  2015.

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COMMENTS (1)

khan420 | 9 years ago | Reply Pakistan (and the region) is in a mess because it is the Pakistani military establishment which is writing Pakistan's (in)security policies. US has supported this by supporting the military establishment and engaging them ahead of the political Government. Nothing seems to have changed. so don't expect any miracles. People will continue to die and DHAs will continue to expand.
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