Washington: Wary of Indian influence in Afghanistan, Pakistan continues to support insurgent groups and provide terrorist safe havens so as to have its influence inside the war-torn country, the Pentagon told the Congress on Tuesday.
Pakistan's selective counter insurgency operations, passive acceptance of insurgent safe havens and its unwillingness to interdict materials such as IEDs components undermine the security of Afghanistan, it said in a Congressionally mandated report.
The Pentagon informed Congress that because of "pervasive mistrust, long standing tensions an divergent strategic interests" continue to make genuine co-operation with Pakistan very difficult for the United States.
"Insurgent efforts including assassinations of Afghan officials and attack on Afghan coalition forces emanating from the safe havens in Pakistan (particularly those sheltering the Haqqani network and other Taliban affiliates), continue to threaten the emergence of a durable and stable political solution in Afghanistan," the report said.
The Pentagon said that Pakistan continues to seek a stable, secure Afghanistan, an Afghan Government with primacy for Pashtuns and limited Indian influence.
"To this end, Pakistan has allowed an insurgent sanctuary in its border to persist, offering a safe haven to Afghan Taliban and associated militant groups including the Haqqani Taliban Network in the North Waziristan Agency," it said.
"Pakistani leaders have tolerated this due to their concerns that Pakistan will be left alone to confront an unstable, an unfriendly, or an Indian-influenced Afghanistan on its border.
"Accordingly, Pakistan seeks to play a key role in the peace and reconciliation process to advance a political settlement that considers Pakistani interests," the Pentagon said.
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