Unless Pakistan is cleansed from within, which of course involves putting a lid on ISI���s anti India activities and dismantling anti India institutions it is almost impossible to achieve long term peace in the region.

“WE ARE also fighting terrorism and this is also a concern to us”. These are few of the many lines being reiterated by Pakistani politicians from at least a decade. Though there is an element of truth in these words but what is baffling India is Pakistan’s threat perception.

 
The so called war on terror in Pakistan’s backyard has in no way led to decrease in terrorist activities in India. So, where this war on terror is going? Is this addressing India’s concern? The war on terror is nothing but an eye wash and India will continue to bleed in the times to come. What is more agonising is that we cannot do anything about it. The self appointed policemen of the world who happen to be the advocate of democracy has consistently chosen to ignore India’s prime concern – the terror planned across the border and executed in India. No other country in world has so much and so many threats to its sovereignty as India has been facing yet it is being ignored as any troubled African country.
 

Couple of months back the US administration had came to know or made public that funds given to Pakistan for its role in war against terror is actually been used for anti-India activities. They also had concrete information about the alleged double standards being adopted by ISI in its war against terror. Allegations varied from non-cooperation in investigations to leaking the information to terrorists. Another piece of information that is coming and being echoed on television is that the US had already warned India about the possible attacks in Mumbai. What this information actually implies is that the US was aware as to who is planning to bleed India. Then, what is stopping the US to toe India’s line vis-à-vis Pakistan? Again this has got something to do with war on terror.
 
The US, UK, France are the major partners in the war against terror. How could it be possible that they don’t share secret information? Though it is unlikely that they don’t have information sharing mechanism but what is likely is that they have happily chosen to ignore it and made it India specific problem. Apart from condemnation what else have they done to ensure that Pakistan yields to legitimate demands made by India?
 
The US’ love of Pakistan is well known. They view Pakistan as strategic territory and have done everything to thwart India’s aggression towards Pakistan. Be it Kargil, Kandahar, or attack on parliament every time India wanted to increase the pressure it was US which poked its nose in the matters. These events have given enough confidence to Pakistan as far as bleeding India is concerned. This time too Condoleezza Rice has come to bring the temperatures down but the outgoing US administration seems to be concerned with its interests only. The swift action by US after Mumbai attacks is something we have never seen in the history of terror attacks in India. They are concerned only in gathering information so that they can secure their frontiers. There is hardly any chances that this information, if they trace back to Pakistan, will be used to arm twist Pakistan. The present US administration which is going to be replaced by Democrats will get no time to react nor would the Democrats with their pro-Pakistan history will be inclined to curb threats to India. All in the name of war on terror and Pakistan is important for them.
 
The war on terror has no meaning if it does not address the concern of biggest victim of terrorism-India. It has given Pakistan an opportunity to classify terrorists into Jihadis and terrorists. It’s in the group of former the India focused groups falls in. That could perhaps be the reason why on one hand Al-Qaeda is facing the heat but groups like Lashkar, Jaish are by large unaffected by the war on terror. The offices of these India focused groups were closed following the US pressure but according to the reports they have started all over again. If this is the latest progress made in the war on terror then results of this war is anybody’s guess. Perhaps the US is bit too concerned about losing Pakistan as an ally but ignoring the threat emanating from Pakistan could prove to be equally disastrous.
 
Incidents of Lal Maszid and the unsolved mystery of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination point towards the malaise within Pakistan, which can be attributed to the inaction of Pakistani government against those whom they nurtured in the name of Jihad.
 
Unless Pakistan is cleansed from within, which of course involves putting a lid on ISI’s anti India activities and dismantling anti India institutions it is almost impossible to achieve long term peace in the region. The reason behind Pakistan’s inaction against the non-State actors is somewhere the fear of getting pushed in civil war creating further unrest. This is precisely the reason why the US has chosen to turn blind to India’s cause. The war on terror which ideally should have been started by dismantling the non-State apparatus within Pakistan has started from outside. Hence it is not at all surprising that these Jihadi groups are safe and flourishing. What the war on terror has certainly done is to bring the war at India’s doorstep. What it’s certainly not done is created terror in the minds of terrorists.