Pakistan has supported Taliban groups since the 1990s. These groups fought a war with power hungry warlords and brought stability to numerous sectors of Afghanistan in the 1990s. This suited Pakistan at the time (understandable). But Taliban groups developed close ties with Al-Qaeda Network and this relationship brought War On Terror to the region.
The Establishment allowed NATO to conduct operations in Afghanistan on the one hand but allowed the Taliban groups to find refuge and recover in Pakistan on the other hand. US-led forces combed entire sectors in Afghanistan only for Taliban groups to return after a period of time. This ill-advised policy is the reason why military options did not work and Pakistan finds itself in current predicament.
Imran Khan was vocal against War On Terror from the start and the Establishment and PTI were on the same page on the matter of supporting Taliban groups.
For decades, Pakistan pursued a policy of supporting the Afghan Taliban while cracking down on the Pakistani Taliban, the Tehreek-i-Taliban (TTP). With the Taliban in power in Afghanistan, Islamabad…
www.france24.com
Two large attacks on police installations have rocked Pakistan, compelling the authorities to rethink their approach to countering militancy. Their dilemma is that the insurgents’ main supporters – the new authorities in Afghanistan – are also their long-time allies.
www.crisisgroup.org
Details are out in Public.
I hate to say this but
Husain Haqqani was right about some things. Not condoning
this idiot's Memogate though. One has the right to disagree with a state policy but one should never be a part of foreign conspiracy.
The fundamental problem is that institutions in Pakistan have not encouraged the Academic sector to conduct impartial research on the matters of national security and many of the teachers are politicized or parrot state-sponsored propaganda. Just look at the level of funding that is allocated for the Education Sector in the country. Academic deliberations are the key to finding solutions for all manner of problems in the country and provide directions to decision-makers for how to move forward.
How come my views are in stark to contrast to typical political banter in the country? Because I am a researcher and I care about Pakistan in true spirit. I have the mental capacity to look at any development from various perspectives to figure out what could be right. This is why most of my views are spot on. But facts are boring and narratives are easier to sell.