ISLAMABAD- The linchpin in Washington’s Afghan strategy is to put pressureon Pakistan to close safe havens used by Taliban fighters, most notably theHaqqani network, blamed for the more brazen and deadly attacks on Kabul.

Pakistan denies organised camps exist on its territory, though it saysinsurgents move throughout the country among the Afghan refugee populationof 1.5 million. Pakistan also assails Afghanistan for allowinganti-Pakistan militants to have territory from which they plot and carryout attacks against Pakistan.

For Pakistan, despite closer ties with Russia and a heavily invested China,even a bad relationship with the US is better than no relationship at all,said Andrew Wilder, Asia programs vice president at the US Institute ofPeace.

“Pakistan losing the US as a strategic partner due to Pakistan’sAfghanistan policy, and ending up having to rely solely on China, is not aforeign policy success story for Pakistan — it’s a major foreign policyfailure,” he said. “Pakistan’s relationship with the US, even in itscurrent weakened state, is still far more important in economic, diplomaticand security terms for Pakistan than its relationship with Russia.”

Although Pakistan was not mentioned in the final communique that followedlast week’s Financial Action Task Force on terror funding, a motion byWashington to have Pakistan put on a global watch list prompted the taskforce to demand that Pakistan is doing enough to curb financial terrorismby the time they meet again in June. Most analysts said the deadline was anindication that even its deep friendship with China was not enough tocounter US pressure.

“We shouldn’t overstate how much Beijing and Moscow can compensate for USaid cuts and sanctions,” said Michael Kugelman, Asia Program deputydirector at the US-based Wilson Center. “

China is not a charity and does not provide assistance on demand; it onlyprovides support — including to key allies like Pakistan — when it servesits interests. Additionally, the extent of Russian support for Pakistan tothis point is unclear.” – Agencies