Pak beginning to recognize enemy within, feel Indian agencies
NEW DELHI: Pakistan's security establishment is finally moving ahead of its "blame-it-all-on-India" obsession to accepting that their biggest challenge lies within, feels a significant section of their Indian counterparts. This huge shift could have significant impact on New Delhi's Pakistan strategy in the coming months.
Sources said they were beginning to believe that Pakistan's security establishment, primarily the army and the ISI, are now convinced that their biggest threat is from homegrown terror within their own border. "It is a significant shift, from blaming all attacks on Indian agencies to accepting that the recent attacks have been from within," a senior official in the security establishment said.
Until a few months ago, almost every attack in Pakistan was being blamed on Indian agencies by senior military officers, especially the external intelligence agency RAW (Research and Analysis Wing). Whether it was attacks against Pakistani targets, Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan, or Pakistani emissary in Sri Lanka, the attacks were invariably blamed on Indian agencies by senior Pakistani military officials.
"We are seeing a break in the pattern," another senior official said. The top brass of Pakistan army and ISI are now beginning to accept that major attacks within Pakistan are all due to homegrown terror, he said. "It is a huge movement forward from their earlier posture — blaming us, or the self-denial mode. Now, they are beginning to accept the reality," he said.
At the highest levels here, the government is aware of this shift in the Pakistani security establishment's stand, sources said. So, it could have a major impact on India's Pakistan approach in the next few months. The fact that Pakistani establishment is waking up to the reality "cannot be ignored when we assess the overall situation", a senior official said.
However, Army sources said indications about the Pakistani security establishment waking up to the reality was not enough to trust them explicitly. It is not good enough to wipe off Pakistan military's past unreliability exhibited in Kargil and elsewhere, a senior officer said. That is why, New Delhi did not take to the negotiation table any flexibility while discussing Siachen between the two defence secretaries recently, he said.
Sources said they were beginning to believe that Pakistan's security establishment, primarily the army and the ISI, are now convinced that their biggest threat is from homegrown terror within their own border. "It is a significant shift, from blaming all attacks on Indian agencies to accepting that the recent attacks have been from within," a senior official in the security establishment said.
Until a few months ago, almost every attack in Pakistan was being blamed on Indian agencies by senior military officers, especially the external intelligence agency RAW (Research and Analysis Wing). Whether it was attacks against Pakistani targets, Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan, or Pakistani emissary in Sri Lanka, the attacks were invariably blamed on Indian agencies by senior Pakistani military officials.
"We are seeing a break in the pattern," another senior official said. The top brass of Pakistan army and ISI are now beginning to accept that major attacks within Pakistan are all due to homegrown terror, he said. "It is a huge movement forward from their earlier posture — blaming us, or the self-denial mode. Now, they are beginning to accept the reality," he said.
At the highest levels here, the government is aware of this shift in the Pakistani security establishment's stand, sources said. So, it could have a major impact on India's Pakistan approach in the next few months. The fact that Pakistani establishment is waking up to the reality "cannot be ignored when we assess the overall situation", a senior official said.
However, Army sources said indications about the Pakistani security establishment waking up to the reality was not enough to trust them explicitly. It is not good enough to wipe off Pakistan military's past unreliability exhibited in Kargil and elsewhere, a senior officer said. That is why, New Delhi did not take to the negotiation table any flexibility while discussing Siachen between the two defence secretaries recently, he said.
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