Washington: Pakistan is a “haven” for several Islamist terror groups and successive Pakistani governments are widely believed to have supported some outfits as proxies in the country’s conflicts with its neighbours including India, US Congressional Research Service said.
The report, dated May 14, notes that Pakistan’s security services are seen by many independent analysts to be too willing to make distinctions between what they consider to be “good” and “bad” Islamist extremist groups, maintaining supportive relations with Afghan insurgents and anti-India militant groups operating from Pakistani territory.
“Pakistan is a haven for numerous Islamist extremist and terrorist groups, and successive Pakistani governments are widely believed to have tolerated and even supported some of these as proxies in Islamabad’s historical tensions and conflicts with neighbours,” said the latest report by the independent CRS on Pakistan.
The CRS report on Pakistan is not an official report of the US Congress, but prepared by experts to keep the lawmakers informed about the state of affairs in Pakistan, the bilateral relationship and ties with its neighbours.
“Tensions between Pakistan and India persist, and observers see the Pakistani Army obstructing the efforts of Pakistani business interests to deepen commercial trade and other engagement with India, seeking resolution of territorial disputes as a prerequisite,” CRS said. “The security of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, materials, and technologies continues to be a top-tier US concern, especially as Islamist militants have expanded their geographic influence there,” the report said.
