'Pak selective in its action against Taliban'

Pakistan is being selective in its action against Taliban while cracking down on elements which it feels are causing trouble inside the country, but avoiding a campaign against other factions, according to the US congressmen. Fresh from their visit to Islamabad and an in-depth interaction with the leadership of the country, a group of US Congressmen said on Wednesday that Pakistan is not yet convinced that they need to take action against all groups of Taliban, as they do not pose a security threat.

"One could say that in one context the Pakistan government is very much concerned about a portion of the Taliban who are causing trouble in Pakistan. But they are not yet, I don't believe, convinced that they should take action across the board against all Taliban, particularly those Afghan Taliban who have moved across for sanctuary," Senator Mike Crapo told reporters at news briefing. "I believe it is very clearly one of the US goals to help Pakistan to understand that the entirety of the Taliban threat is real and to take action against the Afghan Taliban in Pakistan. "However, I also believe that there is some progress there. In fact, it is a reality that there is a threat to Pakistan from the Afghan Taliban. But I don't believe that the -- the Pakistan government has yet moved to that point," he said.

"Frankly, I think it's a source of some conjecture or speculation among many people as to whether they will, and, if so, when they will and to what extent they will begin taking action against the Afghan Taliban," Crapo said. Senator McConnell said members of the delegation were all pleased at the effort the Pakistan military has made in Swat with considerable success, and the efforts they continue to make to combat terrorism, which they now fully believe is a threat to the regime in Pakistan.

"All of us emphasised to the Pakistani leadership our view that the Taliban is a problem regardless, whether it's Pakistan Taliban or Afghan Taliban, and a greater level of cooperation between the Pakistan government and the Afghanistan government obviously would be in everybody's best interest," he said.

"The Pakistan government has taken strong action already against those elements of the Taliban that are active in Pakistan, creating an existential threat to the Pakistani government. And so, they are taking action there. However, the Afghan -- the Afghan Taliban, who have moved across the border into Pakistan, have, as of this point, not posed a serious threat to Pakistan. They are minding their manners, if you will, in Pakistan and using it as a sanctuary," Crapo said. "And so, the question is whether Pakistan will, A, view that part of the Taliban community as a threat in Pakistan or, B, take the position that it should assist the Afghanistan government and the Americans and the coalition forces in Afghanistan by helping to root them out," he asked.