In other words, there is no Sudoku in the TTP leadership taking shelter in Afghanistan to escape from Operation Zarb-e-Azb that Pakistan had mounted in North Waziristan under American pressure. Moreover, TTP had no alternative after Nawaz Sharif whom they had supported in the 2013 general election had failed to deliver on his promise of a dialogue with them.
Pakistani military and foreign office, however, used the TTP presence in Afghanistan to brow beat the Americans, Afghans and the Indians. And unleashed a media blitzkrieg that RAW (Indian spy agency) - NDS (Afghan spy agency) nexus is harbouring anti-Pakistan terrorist groups.
And thus provided enough justification for the New Year-eve lament of President Donald Trump that Washington had "foolishly" provided Pakistan $33 billion in 15 years to fight terror, but "they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!"
Noted French scholar Christopher Jaffrelot has an interesting take on Talibanisation of Pakistan.
In his highly readable, "The Pakistan Paradox: Instability and Resilience," he writes: "Talibanisation process enabled local mullahs with a plebeian background to dislodge the maliks either because of their charisma or by eliminating them physically. Tribal rivalries also contributed to the process. This suited the civil-military establishment which is anxious to preserve its grip over the society. Army's low key actions till the end of the 2000s suggests that it did not throw all its energy into the battle and when it did it was under pressure from the US."
Any disagreement?
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