The Pakistan Army has allowed
the US military and its coalition partners in Afghanistan to maintain a presence
in Quetta and Balochistan, the US Department of Defence told Congress in a
report. The report said that, overall, the US relations with the Pakistani
military have improved. This agreement, ostensibly, stems from an attempt by the
Pentagon to establish a ‘stable and secure’ Afghanistan or maybe the US wants to
establish a ‘stable and secure’ Pakistan. Pakistan’s military and its civilian
government have agreed to expand intelligence sharing with the US, including the
enhancement of intelligence using CIA officials in the country. However,
Pakistan has rejected the US request to expand drone access in the country.
The long-term stability and security of Afghanistan and Pakistan are intertwined
in the dynamics of the region and the continuing influence, both positive and
negative, of the neighbouring countries, not a negative overshadow from the US.
The US involvement should be prohibited and reduced, let alone be allowed to
increase. The US made its first mistake when it failed to withdraw from
Afghanistan and now it is only making matters worse by stationing itself in
Quetta. Only time will tell what effect the stationing of the US military in
Quetta will have on the conditions in Afghanistan, but, inevitably, the end
result will be less than positive.