'war on terror': political, economic and strategic dimensions

338 Pages·2017·2.95 MB·English

PAKISTAN’S ENGAGEMENT AS A FRONTLINE
STATE IN THE US-LED ‘WAR ON TERROR’:

POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND STRATEGIC

DIMENSIONS

PhD Dissertation

By

Sadaf Bashir

Department of International Relations & Political Science

Qurtuba University of Science & Information Technology
Peshawar (Pakistan)

2015

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In The Name Of

The Most Beneficent

The Most Merciful

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PAKISTAN’S ENGAGEMENT AS A FRONTLINE
STATE IN THE US-LED ‘WAR ON TERROR’:

POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND STRATEGIC

DIMENSIONS

PhD Dissertation

By

Sadaf Bashir

Department of International Relations & Political Science

Qurtuba University of Science & Information Technology
Peshawar (Pakistan)

2015

CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL
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THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT A DISSERTATION TITLED, “PAKISTAN’S
ENGAGEMENT AS A FRONTLINE STATE IN THE US-LED ‘WAR ON TERROR’:
POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND STRATEGIC DIMENSIONS” SUBMITTED BY SADAF
BASHIR D/O MUHAMMAD BASHIR, IS OF SUFFICIENT STANDARD TO JUSTIFY ITS

ACCEPTANCE BY DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS & POLITICAL
SCIENCE, QURTUBA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY, PESHAWAR, FOR THE AWARD OF DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF
PHILOSOPHY.

--------------------------------
(Supervisor)

External Examiners:

1. ----------------------------------
Dr.
2. ----------------------------------
Dr.

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This Dissertation is Dedicated to
My Parents, Muhammad Bashir and Shahnaz Parveen
─Whose Prayers are Great Source of
Strength to Me in Every Noble Venture.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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All praises to Almighty ALLAH for the strengths and His blessing in completing this thesis.
The completion of my PhD dissertation has been a long journey but I could not have succeeded
without the constant support of the select few I’m about to mention.

First and foremost, I am highly indebted to my Research Supervisor, Dr. A. Z. Hilali, who has
supported me throughout my thesis with his wealth of knowledge, invaluable guidance and
patience whilst allowing me the room to work in my own way. I doubt that I will ever be able
to convey my appreciation fully, but I owe him my eternal gratitude.

I am most grateful to the Department of International Relations & Political Science, Qurtuba
University of Science & Information Technology, Peshawar for their academic and research
support. I expand my thanks to all the staff in the University for their Assistance and kindness.
My sincerest appreciation extends to Professor Dr. Saleem whose distilled wisdom was very
helpful, sometimes in most surprising ways. I am very thankful as well, to the Higher
Education Commission, Islamabad, for granting me a scholarship to pursue my studies.

I also want to express my gratitude to my best friend Shabana Noureen, not only for her
excellent comments, but also for listening to me whenever I got excited about a new idea.
Sincere thanks to her for intellectual and moral support during my study.

Of course no acknowledgments would be complete without giving thanks to my beloved
parents. They’ve taught me about hard work, self-respect and determination. Words cannot
express the gratitude I have for my grandfather Fazl-ur-Rehman (Late) and my sister Aasya
Bashir for their endless affection, prayers and encouragement. I must acknowledge my brothers
Muhammad Basharat and Muhammad Bilal for helping me get through the difficult times, and
for all the support and caring they provided.

Sadaf Bashir

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ABSTRACT
This study examines the political, economic and strategic dimensions of Pakistan’s engagement
as a frontline state in the US-led ‘War on Terror’. Pakistan’s objectives in the ‘War on Terror’
seek to protect the country from an internal backlash from militants and extremists and from
the external threat emanating from India. In line with these objectives, Pakistan seeks to retain
a delicate ‘balancing act’ in its relations with United States and Afghan Taliban. This
‘balancing act’ involves extending significant counterterrorism assistance to the US-led
coalition by combating Al-Qaeda operatives and anti-Pakistani state, Tehreek-e-Taliban
Pakistan, while also ‘continue investing’ its political and financial capital in Afghan Taliban
fighting the US-led coalition forces in Afghanistan. As a result, Pakistan is feeling the heat on
both sides, with extremists and Taliban rebels have turned against the state for joining the US-
led coalition ‘War on Terror,’ while the US officials criticize Islamabad for declining to
cooperate wholeheartedly. United States has repeatedly pressured Pakistan to fall in line with
its objectives which seek to disrupt and dismantle Al-Qaeda network, stabilize ‘AfPak’ region,
encircle China, purge the threat of the emergence of Nuclear Iran, and shore up the US political
and military influence in Central Asia. Pakistan’s concerns, however, revolve around the
emerging US-India nexus in South Asia, which Islamabad perceives is directed to minimize its
influence in Afghanistan and the region and put its vital security interests at risk. In fact, the
US ‘tilt’ toward India forced Pakistan to avoid complementing the US objectives fully.
Islamabad, therefore, insists to recognize the benefits of partnering against combating terrorism
which must be balanced against Pakistan’s security interests. In this regard, well-crafted US
policies are needed to address Pakistan’s insecurities vis-à-vis India and Afghanistan, its
economy and internal stability and acknowledge Pakistan’s growing relationship with China
and Iran before the US can expect Pakistan to support its objectives in the ‘War on Terror’.

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ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

ANP Awami National Party
ATC Anti-Terrorism Court
BCC Border Coordination Centre
CARs Central Asian Republics
CIA Central Intelligence Agency
CSF Coalition Support Funds
CTBT Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
CBM Confidence Building Measures
CTC Counter-Terrorism Committee
ESF Economic Support Funds
EU European Union
FATA Federally Administered Tribal Areas
FDI Foreign Direct Investment
FC Frontier Corps
FCR Frontier Crimes Regulations
FMF Foreign Military Financing
FY Fiscal Year
GDP Gross Domestic Product
GHQ General Headquarter
GNP Gross National Product
IDPs Internally Displaced Persons
IED Improvised Explosive Device
ISAF International Security and Assistance Forces
ISI Inter Services Intelligence
ISPR Inter Services Public Relations
JD/JuD Jamaat-ud-Dawa
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JI Jamiat-e-Islami
JM/JeM Jaish-e-Mohammed
JSOC Joint Special Operations Command
JUI-F Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl-ur-Rehman Faction)
JUI-S Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam (Sami-ul-Haq Faction) KPK
Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (Province of Pakistan)
LJ/LeJ Lashkar-e-Jhangvi
LoC Line of Control (Kashmir)
LT/LeT Lashkar-e-Tayyaba
MMA Muttahida-Majlis-e-Amal
MQM Mutahiddah Qaumi Movement
NACTA National Counter Terrorism Authority
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NGO Non-Governmental Organization
NWA North Waziristan Agency
OEF Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan)
PML-N Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz Sharif Faction)
PML-Q Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam Faction)
PPP Pakistan Peoples Party
QST Quetta Shura Taliban
RAW Research and Intelligence Wing (of India)
ROZ/ROZs Reconstruction Opportunity Zone(s)
SMP Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistan
SSP Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan
SWA South Waziristan Agency
TAPI Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India Gas pipeline
TJP Tehreek-e-Jafria Pakistan
TNFJ Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Fiqah Jaffria
TNSM Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi
TTP Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
UK United Kingdom
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UN United Nations
UNSC United Nations Security Council
US United States
USAID United States Agency for International Development

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