The relationship between Inter-Services Intelligence or ISI, Pakistan’s external intelligence agency, and the Afghan Taliban goes far beyond what was previously thought, says a new report.
The Inter-Services Intelligence not only provides support in terms of training, funding and munitions but at least three to seven ISI officials are represented, as participants or observers, on the Taliban supreme leadership council, known as the Quetta Shura.
Significantly, the ISI is shown to have “even greater sway over Haqqani insurgents” led by Jalaluddin Haqqani, whose outfit is suspected of carrying out strikes on the Indian embassy in Kabul in July 2008 and October 2009.
The report, entitled The sun in the sky: The relationship between Pakistan’s ISI and Afghan insurgents, is authored by Matt Waldman, a fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. It was released on Sunday. Waldman concludes in his report that without a change in Pakistani behaviour it will be difficult for the US-led Nato forces and President Hamid Karzai’s government to make real peace in Afghanistan. Speaking exclusively to this newspaper, Mr Waldman described Pakistan’s support for the Afghan Taliban as “official ISI policy” and noted that its influence extends to the top leadership of the insurgents.
Mr Waldman’s interviews with at least 14 Taliban commanders and several other officials, including former ministers and ambassadors, between February and April 2010 suggest that Pakistan is playing “a double-game”.
“It is hard to see how the international coalition can continue to treat Pakistan as an ally and effective partner,” Mr Waldman says, noting how the ISI appears to have circumscribed the Taliban’s strategic autonomy, precluding steps towards talks with the Afghan government. Mr Waldman argues that the fundamental causes of Pakistan’s insecurity, in particular its conflict with India, must be addressed on priority.
He reasons that Pakistan’s fundamental strategic calculus has not altered significantly over the decades in that the ISI continues to believe it needs Afghanistan to maintain regional strength and strategic depth vis-a-vis India.
Accordingly, Mr Waldman asserts that “it is essential that the leaders of India and Pakistan, and outside powers such as the US and international organisations such as the UN, make strenuous efforts to try to build trust between India and Pakistan and to move their relationship in the right direction.”
He maintains that India and Pakistan need to have a frank discussion and acknowledge each other’s concerns if the conflict in Afghanistan is to end, referring obliquely to a former Taliban minister who is quoted as saying in the report that the root of the problem in Afghanistan is the Pakistan-India competition.