– Dr. Rahul Kumar, Diplomacy and Security Expert-
(Asian Independent)- Between 1953 and 1961 $508 million of US military aid flowed to Pakistan. Washington has provided Islamabad with almost $10 billion in overt security and economic assistance since 2002 and continues to compensate the Pakistani military for its counterterrorism efforts with roughly $1 billion in annual reimbursements, many U.S. leaders are beginning to wonder whether Pakistan is in fact doing its part.
The 9/11 tragedy has not only exposed the might of terror outfits but it has also created the opportunities and challenges for the regional powers in South Asia. Since 9/11 terror attacks, Pakistan has received more than $18 billion in reimbursement and assistance from the USA, about 2/3 of which is for the security purpose. The US has created the Coalition Support Funds (CSF) as a mechanism to reimburse Pakistan for the support in “Global War on terror”. Pakistan became a major player and a strategic ground for converting US support to anti-Soviet forces in Afghanistan. As a result, US assistance to Pakistan took a long jump and Pakistan got $3.1 billion as economic aid and $2.19 billion as military aid from 1980 to 1990. In 2010, military assistance to Pakistan totaled $2.5bn including $1.2 bn in coalition support funds.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Turkish arms transfers to Pakistan totaled $112 million from 2016-2019. In 2019, Qatar gave a bailout package of $3 billion to cash -strapped Pakistan. China gave USD 4.6. billion in the shape of deposits and commercial loans. Saudi Arabia provided USD 3 billion cash deposit and USD 3.2 billion oil facility on deferred payments. Between 2019 and 2020 Pakistan received 302 million pounds from the United Kingdom. The United State of America gave $750 million assistance to the Pakistan FATA(Federally Administered Area) program. Former President of the United States of America Donald Trump cut $300 million aid to Pakistan.
The above data suggest that the weak Civilian Governments of Pakistan have been receiving foreign aid from different countries including the United States of America and Middle East. It is a fact that Pakistan remains under pressure from the donor countries to do more against terrorists groups. It is also a fact that Pakistan`s ISI ( Inter- Services Intelligence) has misappropriated funds to finance and train terrorist camps inside Pakistan and keep on sending deadly terrorists into Kashmir. In fact, of all the Pakistani- sponsored Deobandi terrorist groups operating against India in Kashmir and elsewhere, only one entity— the Hizbul Mujahideen— began life as an indigenous Kashmiri insurgent group; the others, including the most violent organizations such as the Lashkar- e- Toiba, the Jaish- e- Muhammad, and the Harkat- ul- Mujahideen, are all led, manned, and financed by native Pakistanis. India bore the brunt of three major wars (1965, 1971 & 1999).
The Kargil conflict in May 1999 was fully sponsored and executed by the ISI of Pakistan in which 524 Indian soldiers died and 1,363 wounded. The intruders from Pakistan were armed with AK 47 and 56 mortors, artillery, anti aircraft guns, and Stinger missiles. The Pakistani Army had set up a complex logistical network through which the intruders across the LOC. Pakistan Army lost the gamble and paid a heavy price and suffered heavy casualties. Mr Nawaz Sharif had later admitted over 4000 casualties as against Indian losses totaling to 527 and 1363 wounded.
December 13, 2001 attack on India’s parliament was backed by Pakistan. India pointed to the Jaish-e-Muhammed(JeM) and the Lashkar-eToiba as the source of the attack on parliament claiming that the attackers were Pakistanis, and accused Pakistan of sponsoring their attack. A gardener and eight policemen were shot dead. The plotter Afzal Guru was hanged. In 2008, under the patronage of Pakistan, the Mumbai attack was executed. Ten Pakistani men associated with the terror group Lashkar-e-Tayyiba stormed various buildings in Mumbai and killed 164 people using automatic weapons and grenades. Only one( Ajmal Kasab) of the 10 gunmen survived, and was executed in 2012.
On 14 February, 2019, 44 personnel’s of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were killed and another 20 injured when Adil Ahmed Dar, a local member of the Jaish-e-Mohammed rammed a SUV with an estimated 200-350kg explosives in district Pulwana (J&K). In retaliation, India conducted Balakot airstrike and targeted JeM on February 26,2019.
The ceasefire violation Pakistani military and security organizations notably ISI across international border continue. In the Rajya Sabha( Upper House of Indian Parliament) while replying to a question, Minister of state for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said, “During the period August 05, 2019 to November 22, 2021( 841 days after the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir) , 496 terrorists incidents have been reported from Jammu & Kashmir in which 79 civilians and 45 army personnel have been killed.” Pakistan`s ISI was founded on 1 January 1948. Since then it has been involved in financing, organizing and executing anti- India operations.
India is at a high risk particularly after the fall of President Ashraf Ghani government in Afghanistan. The Taliban took over the reins of a bankrupt nation in August 2021. The relationship between Afghan insurgents and Pakistan`s inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is known to the world. The Taliban (Islamic student) movement sprang from Pushtun refugees in Western Pakistan. A US Congressional Research Service (CRS) report summarizes that the elements of Pakistan`s major intelligence agency and military forces aid the Taliban. Some Afghan and western security officials believe that the ISI is also covering the living costs of the families of Taliban fighters who live in Pakistan. It is alleged that Taliban and Al-Qaeda can influence the power structure in both Pakistan and Afghanistan which can be detrimental to the strategic security interests of India.
In addition to a threat from Pakistan and Afghanistan to the territory of India, there is a widespread anti-India sentiments currently prevailing in Pakistan which constitutes a fatal threat to the security of India as terrorism is institutionalized in the state. The nature of Islamic religious fundamentalism, Islamic political radicalism, and Islamic armed military would not change it’s true color. Osama bin laden, an architect of 9/11 was given refuge by Pakistan in Abbotabad. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan hailed Osama bin Laden as a martyr. From this, the US administration should understand that Pakistan is using American aid to provide shelter to the dreaded terrorist. The mercenaries trained by ISI of Pakistan are always ready to kill Americans and Europeans. The US and European countries must stop doling out funds to Pakistan and safeguard their own citizens. In order to safeguard their own citizens, the US and European countries must stop doling out funds to Pakistan.
International funding to Pakistan has enormous political and economic implications for India. Now is the time to make Pakistan accountable for each bloody murder of Indian citizens. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his team in the External Affairs Ministry(MEA) should take up this issue with the donor countries and should urge them to discontinue funding to Pakistan. Indian diplomats visiting various countries from time to time should present a White Paper on Pakistan`s terrorist activities in India. The Indian Government must build up a strong pressure on the United State of America and Middle East countries to stop foreign aid to Pakistan.
Dr. Rahul Kumar, Ph.D. in Sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi(India), is an independent researcher. The views expressed in this article are personal.
