US Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin is said to be convinced that Pakistan continues to have “soft approach” to terrorism despite all the pressure being put on it by the world community to mend its ways. Austin agreed to External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar that Islamabad needs to take credible and satisfactory action against terrorism and terror outfits operating from its soil.
The top Biden administration official believes that Pakistan can win back the confidence of world community if it does something concrete against the terror organisations.
Jaishankar raised the issue of terrorism being cultivated and sponsored by Pakistan during his two-hour long meeting with Austin. Sources told The Sunday Guardian that this issue was discussed for a good amount of time during the meeting. Terrorism in Pakistan also figured during Austin’s meeting with his counterpart Rajnath Singh. Though the focus of Austin during this visit was mainly on Indo-Pacific interest in view of aggressive behaviour of China, the MEA team made it a point to bring Pakistan-based terrorism on
the agenda as well. The team also ensured that it is also given a considerable amount of time during the discussion between Austin and Jaishankar.
Sources said that Jaishankar explained to the US defence chief how “terror factories” in Pakistan continue to devise newer ways to bleed India. Factual inputs were shared with the visiting top leader of the Biden administration, sources said. According to an official, “It could be seen as a diplomatic weakness on the part of India if the issue of Pak-sponsored terrorism would not have been discussed thread-bare in a meeting with Austin.”
“Biden administration may have been carried away by the recent peace overtures to India coming from no less a person than Pakistan’s Army chief, but New Delhi’s responsibility is to make the US understand the ground situation and reality,” argues an official.
Austin is also learnt to have been told that the US should be cautious while taking a view of Pakistan’s role in restoring peace in Afghanistan. “Pakistan’s dichotomy on terrorism and Taliban has been exposed by India from time to time, and if Washington continues to have blind faith in Islamabad it would be detrimental to the desired goal being achieved,” say India diplomats. On the one hand, Pakistan is participating in the US peace mission in Kabul, while on the other it has been hand in glove with the Talibani elements and Haqqani Network who were wreaking havoc in Afghanistan. Even the US administration in January had the report that Pakistan-based Haqqani Network was behind the terror attack on Sikhs in Kabul in March last year. This group was also reported to have a plan to form a new joint unit with al-Qaeda.
During his visit to India, Austin met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, NSA Ajit Doval, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and a host of other top officials dealing with strategic affairs here.