The elimination of Mullah Fazlullah by an American drone and Lieutenant General Austin Miller’s remark that President Trump’s Afghanistan push requires Pakistan’s help create the impression that the good old days of US mollycoddling Pakistan are back.
Pakistani military leadership has begun to see the killing of their Bad Taliban Fazlullah as the first clear indication of Washington’s readiness to accommodate Rawalpindi’s concerns on the Afghan theatre.
Such an interpretation has led to many commentators in Pakistan postulating the theory that the US has accepted Islamabad’s concern of safe havens for terrorists in Afghanistan. The terrorists sheltered in these havens, according to them, are all anti-Pakistan. The Foreign office also deemed it proper to chip in to tell Washington once more that Pakistan has done “enough”.
Yet, Trump administration has stuck to its refrain – Pakistan must do more.
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice G. Wells, who is scheduled  (June 20, 2018) to testify before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has literally snubbed Pakistan in full public view.
In her prepared statement ahead of her hearing, she said “Pakistan is still on notice on the question of taking decisive action against terror outfits”. As if to lay at rest any lingering doubts, she added: We (US) expect its (Pakistan’s) unequivocal cooperation ending sanctuaries that the Taliban have enjoyed since the remnants of their toppled regime fled into Pakistan in 2001.”
The US, Ambassador Wells said, is engaging with all of Afghanistan’s neighbours and near neighbours to build regional support for the Afghan government’s peace vision and discourage spoilers.
Expectedly Pakistan foreign ministry has protested. After Pakistan had done enough against terrorism, being ‘on notice’ was unfair. We deserved medals rather than notices,” diplomatic sources were quoted as saying in The Nation. The daily also quoted a foreign ministry official attributing US action to Washington’s India fixation.
US has put Pakistan on notice to please India, the official, whose identity has not been revealed, said, and poured scorn over India.
“We have asked them (the US) not to put us (Pakistan) on notice just because India wants them to do this. India is misguiding the US. For the last few months we have been sharing our successes against terrorism with the US. They should not ignore our victories. Putting (Pakistan) on notice is unfair. They must put us (Pakistan) off the notice and acknowledge our efforts. This is what we have told them (Washington),” the unnamed Pak official contended.
All this is a lament in wilderness, as the unfolding events right from the New Year eve Trump Tweet show. The unusually undiplomatic tweet was followed by suspension of US security assistance to Pakistan targeting the Coalition Support Fund. That Pakistan responded sharply is neither here nor there just as its assertion that Islamabad is not dependent on US aid for the war on terror.
Frankly speaking, Pakistan has not read the writing on the wall. And continued with its traditional forked tongue whether it is a campaign to avoid FATF sanctions or pampering Afghan Taliban and its cohorts who range from LeT to Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ).
Even Austin Muller, who has had a good word for Pakistan, told the Senate Armed Services Committee this very week that the biggest challenge to stabilising Afghanistan remains “the sanctuaries in Pakistan that shelter militants fighting the US-led coalition.” And added: “We should have high expectations that they (Pakistan) are part of the solution, not just diplomatically but from a security standpoint as well.”
Over the past one year, many American officials have said the same. Rex Tillerson, as Secretary of State, said too many terrorists find a ‘safe place’ in Pakistan. He reiterated his call for Pakistan to “do more” to address a growing problem of terrorism within its borders that, he said, threatened to destabilize Pakistan itself, Washington Post reported on October 25, 2017.He had a “frank exchange” with Pakistani leaders about the threat terrorist groups posed to the country’s stability, according to Reuters
So, the Wells-Speak is not out of the blue. And Pakistan cannot say it has no warning.
Well, ambassador Wells did mention in her testimony that Pakistan has an important role to play in the Afghan peace process. That is no less a saving grace, if Pakistan is looking for one.
 
ambassador Wells statement before House Forign Affairs Committee

– by malladi