Islamabad/Washington, July 26: Pakistan’s most powerful spy agency lashed out against a trove of leaked US intelligence reports that alleged close connections between it and Taliban militants fighting Nato troops in Afghanistan, calling the accusations malicious and unsubstantiated.
The reports, which were released by the online whistleblower Wikileaks, raised new questions about whether the US can succeed in convincing Pakistan to sever its historical links with the Taliban and deny them sanctuary along the Afghan border.
Stung by a stunning leak of classified records indicating links between the ISI and the Taliban-Al Qaeda network, the White House came out in defence of Pakistan, insisting that the US-Pak alliance has led to significant blows against Al Qaeda leadership since 2009.
“Since 2009, the United States and Pakistan have deepened our important bilateral partnership. Counter-terrorism cooperation has led to significant blows against Al Qaeda’s leadership,” National Security Adviser, Gen. James Jones (Retd.), said in a statement.
Incidentally, the report releases documents of the period when General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani was head of the ISI.
Knowing the adverse impact of the release, the White House lauded Pakistan’s military establishment for its anti-Taliban drive.