Pakistan has had a curious history of bedding the most unsavoury of geopolitical actors. From Afghan Taliban to the Kashmiri mujahideen, Pakistani ISI has supported them all. While, in today's environment, that strategy seems self defeating, this was not always the case.
In its effort to avoid following Afghanistan into a Soviet bearhug, Pakistan went all-in in its effort to remove the soviet footprint from Afghanistan. To do that it supported a host of nonstate actors who had a bone to pick with the Soviets. This strategy yielded benefits in 1988, when the soviets bowed out of Afghanistan. Now, Pakistan had a problem. The monster it had created, no longer had a purpose. To avoid a backlash in its own territory, Pakistan unleashed this monster in Indian Kashmir in its bid to "bleed India through a thousand cuts." Again this strategy worked as India was forced to move its troops from the Pakistani border to tackle this monster.
Only when this strategy was revered in 2002 (after Indian parliament attacks), did Pakistan suffer. This monster now found a new purpose and a new enemy. Pakistan continues to suffer at the hands of its own Frankenstein.
In its effort to avoid following Afghanistan into a Soviet bearhug, Pakistan went all-in in its effort to remove the soviet footprint from Afghanistan. To do that it supported a host of nonstate actors who had a bone to pick with the Soviets. This strategy yielded benefits in 1988, when the soviets bowed out of Afghanistan. Now, Pakistan had a problem. The monster it had created, no longer had a purpose. To avoid a backlash in its own territory, Pakistan unleashed this monster in Indian Kashmir in its bid to "bleed India through a thousand cuts." Again this strategy worked as India was forced to move its troops from the Pakistani border to tackle this monster.
Only when this strategy was revered in 2002 (after Indian parliament attacks), did Pakistan suffer. This monster now found a new purpose and a new enemy. Pakistan continues to suffer at the hands of its own Frankenstein.
1 comment:
The previous strategic assests now turned into potential enemies posing a threat to the very existence of the state.I wonder if for proxy wars these actors will be used again.Given all the damage they have done to the economy and caused the loss of thousands of lives.
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