Lalit K Jha/PTI / Washington Feb 25, 2010, 12:43 IST
Noting that Pakistan has recently arrested only those militants who have crossed the red line set by it, a US-based strategic think-tank today said that these arrests does not necessarily indicate any kind of shift in Islamabad's strategy.
"Taken at face value, these arrests appear to be a reversal by Islamabad on its policy of maintaining informal connections to militants in order to better control the Afghan-Pakistani border and use the groups as proxy actors against India," Stratfor said in its commentary on the series of arrests made by Pakistan in recent days.
"But a closer look shows that the individuals arrested had crossed the red line set by Islamabad — engaging in attacks in the region that harm Pakistani interests, or constitute direct attacks on the state itself," it said.
The Startfor remarks came after the arrest of Afghan Taliban no. 2 Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and other top Taliban leaders.
Pakistani police yesterday arrested commander of the banned LeT Matiullah (aka Abu Talha) along with 34 Afghan students in the northwestern Pakistani district of Nowshera.
"Matiullah is accused of promoting violence through an illegal radio station he operated. However, his arrest had less to do with his being a leader of a banned militant group than the fact that he asserted his independence from the Pakistani state," it said.
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