In his latest warning to
Pakistan, US President Donald Trump used the term 'safe haven for terrorists'
for Pakistan again while delivering his much awaited Afghanistan policy review
which sought to increase Indian role while slammed Pakistan for its
double-dealings. Pakistan has been claiming and accepting US grants for its
role in the US aid in war against terror while at the same time, it has been sheltering
terror groups like the Taliban and the Haqqani Network that attack American
interests in Afghanistan.
Before this, we can identify
at least seven clear warning signals sent by the Trump administration to
Pakistan on its duplicity on terror. These are signs of rapid deterioration of
Pakistan's credibility in the Washington.
HIZBUL MUJAHIDEEN DECLARES A
FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION: Last week, the US Department of State declared
Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir based terror group Hizbul Mujahideen, that is known
for fomenting terror in Jammu & Kashmir, a foreign terrorist organization
aimed at scuttling its resources.
US COUNTRY REPORT ON TERRORISM
TERMS PAKISTAN A SAFE HAVEN FOR TERRORISTS: Then in July, the world’s only
superpower termed Pakistan a safe haven for India centric terror groups. The
Country Report on Terrorism 2017 (for the year 2016) says, “The Pakistan
government supported political reconciliation between the Afghan government and
the Afghan Taliban, but failed to take significant action to constrain the
ability of the Afghan Taliban and HQN to operate from Pakistan-based safe
havens and threaten U.S. and Afghan forces in Afghanistan.”
And it then goes on to do the
course-correction that was long overdue by writing specifically against the
major India centric terror groups like LeT and JeM and holding Pakistan
accountable for not doing enough, “The government did not take any significant
action against LeT or JeM, other than implementing an ongoing ban against media
coverage of their activities. LeT and JeM continued to hold rallies, raise
money, recruit, and train in Pakistan.”
SYED SALAHUDDIN DESIGNATED
GLOBAL TERRORIST: In June, coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s US
visit and his first Summit with US President Donald Trump, the US designated
Syed Salahuddin, the Hizbul chief, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist
(SDGT).
MODI-TRUMP JOINT STATEMENT
SAYS PAKISTAN A TERROR HAVEN: The Modi-Trump joint statement that followed the
Summit was equally harsh on Pakistan. It directly called Pakistan a terror
haven and asked it to ensure that "its territory isn’t used to launch
terrorist attacks on other countries."
TAJK BANNED BY PAKISTAN: On
June 8, in a move that didn't attract much attention, Pakistan was forced to ban
Tehreek-e-Azadi-Jammu & Kashmir (TAJK), the new terror front of Hafiz Saeed
after Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD)'s Hafiz Saeed was put under house arrest in January.
US PROPOSAL IN THE UN TO BAN
MASOOD AZHAR: In its first clear signs of its pro-India bent, the Trump
Administration tabled a proposal in the United Nations Security Council on
February 8 to designate Jaish-e-Muhammad chief Masood Azhar a global terrorist.
The proposal was finalized after discussion between India and the US and had
support of the UK and France. This proposal, too, was blocked by China like its
earlier moves to protect Masood Azhar at the UN.
HAFIZ SAEED UNDER HOUSE
ARREST: Under increasing US pressure, Pakistan had to put Hafiz Saeed under
house arrest on January 30 otherwise Hafiz Saeed was roaming freely in Pakistan
spewing venom against India in spite of US bounty $10 Million over his head.
The move came after the US warning that Pakistan could be added to the list of
the banned countries on the US immigration list. Donald Trump had come up with
his first travel ban list during those days which sought to ban immigrants from
seven Muslim majority nations and Reince Priebus, then White House Chief of
Staff, had said that countries like Pakistan that were 'having problems similar
to those seven nations', could be added to the list in future.
©SantoshChaubey