Common cause, contrary strategies
Saturday morning’s shelling by NATO helicopters on a security checkpost in Mohmand Agency which left 25 troops, including two senior officers, killed and many more injured will not only exacerbate anti-US sentiment but also hurt the common cause of eliminating terrorism.
The airstrike comes at a time when Pakistan was already planning to take up the issue of the increased drone attacks in its tribal region at the UN. Pakistan’s acting Ambassador to the United States Iffat Gardezi reportedly lodged a protest with American authorities with a note of warning that such incidents could further strain relationship between the two countries.
As ISPR cautiously confirmed the attack without saying how many gunship helicopters had violated our airspace and how many people were killed or wounded in the unprovoked strike, Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Barrister Masood Kauser asked the government to take a serious notice of what he described as an attack on Pakistan’s sovereignty.
Barrister Kauser seems to have given expression to the sentiments of those who believe that Islamabad should stop acting on the dictates of Washington and initiate dialogue with the Taliban. Meanwhile, NATO-led International Security Assistance force tried to play down the incident by saying that it was aware of it and was gathering more information.
But the NATO-ISAF command remains oblivious of the consequences of the cross-border attacks on the ongoing military operations against terrorists operating in the restive tribal region bordering Afghanistan. As many as 41 militants were killed on Friday when the security forces launched a major offensive against them in Kurram Agency.
Pakistan’s military and civilian leadership should also be mindful of the fact that mere protests will not help in stopping frequent violations of our territorial integrity. What is required is the reorientation of our priorities to make the US administration understand that its continuing support for drone attacks can adversely affect the global fight against terrorism.
