Pakistan and the Taliban: It’s Complicated

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The Federally Administered Tribal Areas recognized de facto as Waziristan are a well-known staging ground for incursions into neighboring Afghanistan and a base for Taliban leaders and ideology. In these areas, a strict interpretation of Shariah law is enforced, as per Taliban dogma. The Associated Press and other news agencies have reported ritual killings, stoning, and political assassinations as being commonplace in territories controlled by the Tehrik-e-Taliban.

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High profile figures in the American government have confirmed that Pakistan’s ISI supports and, in some cases, directly assists Taliban and Al Qaeda insurgents in Afghanistan. President Obama has recently addressed this issue head-on, and has publicly stated that a high-profile Taliban or Al Qaeda leader would be pursued within Pakistan by covert operatives. Afghanistan’s Hamid Karzai and Pakistan’s Asif Ali Zardari both agree that militant Islam is a regional problem affecting both nations, with Zardari saying that combating militancy would ‘strengthen democracy in his country’. President Zardari has taken a firm stance against militant Islam, and has vowed regional cooperation in eradicating these groups from the area. In the past he has been critical of American drone activity in Pakistan’s frontier and tribal areas, stating these operations violate Pakistan’s sovereignty.

Is Pakistan actually making an effort to get rid of the Taliban?

Pakistan’s tribal areas have long been a refuge for radical Islamists, yet the current government headed by Asif Ali Zardari seems genuinely interested in rooting out Taliban influence. Central to the Pakistani government’s success is cooperation with NATO and Afghan forces operating against Taliban and Al Qaeda along their shared border.

President Zardari has been justified in his criticisms of cross-border incursions by NATO and US forces, but certainly his government has proven ineffective in routing the influence of Taliban militants in Pakistan’s frontier tribal areas. President Zardari has to allow transparency of the widely criticized ISI and their collaboration with Taliban elements. Further, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) must be held accountable for their open support of militants if Pakistan wishes to be fully rid of Taliban influence in the tribal areas. President Zardari and Pakistan will play a crucial role in the greater Middle East, and must take a firm stance against the Taliban and other militant Islamist groups.

 

 

 

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