Don't Ignore Pakistan's Terrorism

In Pakistan, the Army runs the country. The Inter-Services Intelligence directorate — a wing of the military — is its preferred instrument for maintaining contact with terrorist outfits which are used to further the country’s foreign policy objectives. The Pakistan Army’s undeniable terror link is thus not merely a general proposition. From time to time, specific instances of its personnel being cited in operations linked to terrorism come to light. Unless a catalogue is maintained, many may be misled into the naïve belief that each revelation is a one-off, and that the Pakistan Army exists as a pristine force in a sea of trouble. On paper, this is the line taken by most nations that routinely deal with Pakistan — such as the United States, or even India. Unfortunately for the Pakistan Army (and the ISI), the lid is once again off, and its association with the netherworld exposed.