Is Pakistan's Mission Over in the Region?

Pakistan has been a strategic partner of Britain and the United States ever since its establishment

Pakistan has a reputation among the United States and Britain for playing a role in defeating the former Soviet Union's troops in Afghanistan in the 1980s and is also playing a role as a partner to the United States in war against insurgency.

Since Pakistan has always maintained the benefits of the United States in the region, it seems that the two countries are neglecting most of the threats caused by Pakistan in the region due to their long-term friendship. But recently the west has put some actions against the destructive activities of Pakistan. Is Pakistan's mission over in the region?

The US and Pakistan Relations

Pakistan had close relations with the west, especially with the Britain ever since its establishment, but after the fall of Iran's royal government and the take-over of a Moscow-backed government in Afghanistan, Pakistan's strategic importance to the United States increased. Iran was one of the powerful bases of the United States when the royal government was in power, but the base was shifted to Pakistan after an Islamic Republic was established in Iran in 1979. Pakistan has turned into a key partner to the west in the region after absorbing billions of dollars from the west.

Pakistan's Admirable Activities for the West

After the military attack of the former Soviet Union on Afghanistan, Pakistan took the lead to implement western policies in the region, and thus started to support and mastermind the war against the former Soviet Union.

The Soviet Union, the strongest opponent of the United States was finally defeated in Afghanistan and Pakistan benefited the most in the region from this war. Pakistan did a tough job in defeating the former Soviet Union, but it also got numerous privileges from the United States, Britain and the Gulf nations. The United States will not forget all these services by Pakistan for a long time, and thus it has turned into a key partner for the US and Britain in the region.

Pakistan's Devastations in the Region and the Reaction of the West

Recently, there have been anti- Pakistani moves in particular against its military intelligence organisation, Besides Pakistan's appraisable services to the West. Previously, there were some criticisms over the Pakistan's spy organisation, but the study by the London School of Economics and the leak of more than 90,000 secret US military logs by the whistle blower WikiLeaks website has apparently changed views toward Pakistan.

The documents unveil the support of Afghan insurgency by Pakistan and the leak of the documents had followed some criticisms too. Before the US classified military files were disclosed by the WikiLeaks, a study done by London School of Economics called Pakistan responsible for all Afghan insurgency. A part of the study points out the Taliban leadership council and according to local Taliban commanders who participated in the study; members of the Pakistan Spy organisation have attended the Taliban council meetings and have sketched plans for militants to carry out on Afghan soil.

The study shows that there has been no significant change in Pakistan's policy toward Afghanistan and still Pakistan's civilian government has a very tight tie with its military spy organisation and for the first time the British organisation unveiled Pakistan's civilian government role in the insurgency in Afghanistan. Later, the WikiLeaks website published nearly one thousand Pentagon classified files on Afghan war.

The files are on Afghanistan, but most of them are documents that prove Pakistan's role in crisis in Afghanistan. Partly, the files say that Pakistan's spy organisation is trying to destroy Afghanistan's political balance. The former head of the Pakistan's intelligence organisation, ISI, General Hamid Gull is also mentioned in the files and the files play him out as one who sends mines to Afghanistan and sketches attacks to kill NATO troops fighting militants in Afghanistan.

The documents reveal that the United States' forces have had information about the whereabouts of Osama Bin Laden since 2003, and that the leader of Al-Qaeda had met six suicide attackers in Pakistan's Quetta city in 2006. The documents also disclosed that Pakistan's intelligence service, ISI, was involved in attacks on Afghan leaders, Indian leaders, NATO forces in Afghanistan and the employees of aid organisations in the country.

The files also reveal that the Haqqani terrorist network is strongly supported by Pakistan's ISI, and points out the delivery of thousands of motorcycles to the group by the ISI as one of such moves.

The disclosure of the US classified military files by the WikiLeaks website was followed by different reactions. The United Kingdom that was one of Pakistan's supporters so far, convicted the country for dual policies, and also the former deputy of the United Nations special envoy for Afghanistan cited Pakistan as the mastermind of all attacks in Afghanistan.

The former UN special envoy for Afghanistan, Chris Alexander blamed Pakistan's ISI and its Chief of Army, Gen. Ashfaq Kiani for supporting insurgency in Afghanistan. "If violence had erupted inside Afghanistan so far, it might have not existed yet. Pakistan's ISI is the main cause of clashes. Although Gen. Kiani and others deny their interferences in Afghanistan, but the WikiLeaks documents reveal their widespread involvement in all fields," said Chris Alexander.

The Transient Happiness

With the release of secret US documents and the conviction of Pakistan for escalating insurgency in Afghanistan, there are now hopes in the country regarding the west's behaviour towards Pakistan.

But since Pakistan has done appreciable services to the west, and is also legitimising the presence of the west in the region, it does not seem that the west would take practical measures against Pakistan. On the other hand, it does not seem that Pakistan will lose its strategic importance to the west and it looks that it will play an even more important role in the region in the future.

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