Pakistan and the " War on Terror" (2001-2008): A National Policy with Reservations

Pakistan has always enjoyed a special geopolitical importance and strategic status for the US, both during and after the Cold War. And Washington has considered Islamabad as one of its most important security links in the area. The 9/11 event and the new US strategy for the “War on Terror” - as a new concept for maintaining US strategic stability on a global scale – placed Pakistan at the forefront of the struggle against terrorism. Indications are that the US did, in fact, pressure Islamabad into taking active part in the anti–terror coalition through a carrot and stick policy. But, despite the fact that Pakistan has joined the US-led anti-terror coalition and has also pledged to fight against extremism, there exist ample indications pointing to its covert support for Taliban. This article tries to look into Pakistan's reservations in its cooperation with the US in the “War on Terror.” The authors argue in this article that Pakistan's ‘faithful’ cooperation with the US in this regard depends on the US reciprocal helping hand in a number of areas of strategic importance to Islamabad, most notably Durand line with Afghanistan, and the Kashmir dispute with India.