Why Pakistan Balks at Taking a Tougher Line on the Taliban

By: Katie Pfefferle

On March 30 Pakistan Taliban forces stormed a police training center outside of Lahore, Pakistan. Luckily, police forces took control of the situation by 4:00pm. Baitullah Mehsud, a warlord leader of the Pakistan Taliban took responsibility for the attack. A Time.com article discusses how despite recent attacks from the Taliban, such as that on the training center, Pakistan is reluctant to take a strong stand against the Taliban on its borders that conduct operations in Afghanistan. In fact, Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI, continues to “provide active support to Taliban forces fighting in Afghanistan.” The cooperation of Pakistan with the Taliban is a result of Pakistan’s conflict with India. The Pakistani government sees Hamid Karzai, the President of Afghanistan, as a close ally of India and a rival to Pakistan’s interests. Moreover, Pakistan fears encirclement by India and its allies. Consequently, strengthening the Taliban helps weaken India’s ally, Afghanistan, and serves Pakistan’s foreign policy interests.