The situation at the Afghanistan-Pakistan border has been deteriorating. Both sides have been alleging each other instead of addressing the real cause of the problem. The increasing mistrust between Islamabad and coalition forces is in the interest of al Qaeda, Taliban and their sympathiser forces in the region.
The recent developments exhibit that transnational terrorist organisation had been successful in destabilising both states’ relations and generating a condition which led to the exchange of fire between the Pakistani security forces and ISAF/Nato/US and Afghanistan forces. On June 10, 2008 the United States’ bomber dropped bombs along the Afghan-Pakistan border, killing 11 Pakistani paramilitary soldiers. Subsequently, the Allied forces’ spy planes have also increased movement over the Pakistani territory adjacent to the border. On June 15, two military helicopters of the US-led allied forces intruded into the Khyber Agency. 
The coalition forces occasionally violate Pakistani airspace and sometimes hit militants’ hideouts inside Pakistan. These actions were always condemned by the government of Pakistan. Nonetheless, in earlier strikes the targets were not the security forces of Pakistan. On the night of June 10-11, 2008 the United States air strike killed 11 Pakistani soldiers in the Mohmand Agency. The killing of Pakistani soldiers had shocked the entire nation.
Ironically, the US has expressed ‘regrets’ over the incident but has not apologised to Islamabad. This haughty attitude of the Americans would only increase the anti-American sentiment in the Pakistani society and limit the elected government’s effectiveness in the war on terrorism.     
President Hamid Karzai also threatened to launch ‘hot pursuit’ in Pakistan. He stated Afghanistan had the right to self-defense, and because militants crossed over from Pakistan ‘to come and kill Afghan and coalition troops, it exactly gives us the right to do the same’. He added, “Baitullah Mehsud should know that we will go after him now and hit him in his house.” The threat came two days after successful Taliban assault on Kandahar’s prison, which resulted in escape of around 870 prisoners, including 400 Taliban.
Kabul and its Western allies seem frustrated after the protracted warfare in Southern Afghanistan. Despite the coalition forces superiority in weaponry, they have failed in securing victory in the ongoing asymmetrical war in Afghanistan. Secondly, they are not comfortable with Pakistan’s dialogue approach with tribesmen, who are ready to give up arms.   
On June 15, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani reacted to President Karzai’s threat by pointing out that Pakistan neither interfere in other countries’ internal affairs nor would allow anyone to interfere in its internal affairs. Simultaneously, the Foreign Office stated that security forces in Afghanistan could take any action they wanted against militants in their country but not on Pakistani territory. The spokesperson said Pakistan had a clear position — on the Afghan side, the Afghan national army, the UN-mandated ISAF and the US-led forces could take whatever action they wanted against terrorists. However, on the Pakistani side, only Pakistani troops can take action. These responses ensure that government of Pakistan would not allow foreign troops’ operations in its territory. Importantly, Pakistan has maintained this official stance since the very beginning of war on terrorism. But, whenever, the Taliban onslaught increases in Afghanistan the coalition forces target Pakistan for hiding their failure.    
The realistic assessment about the Afghan National Army indicates that this army is professionally backward and remains incapable to fight against Taliban guerillas in Afghanistan. It is militarily incompetent to launch a military operation in the tribal areas of Pakistan. In spite of ineptness of Afghan National Army, one has to take President Karzai’s threat seriously. It is because he enjoys strong support of the Bush Administration. If he has been planning military adventurism against Pakistan, it could be the agenda of the Washington. In this context, one cannot underestimate the reports in the Western newspapers that the Special Boat Service (SBS) and the Special Reconnaissance Regiment would take part in the US-led operations to capture Bin Laden in the Tribal Areas.
This deplorable attitude of Kabul and Washington negatively influence Islamabad’s resolute to flush out transnational terrorists from the Federally Administrative Tribal Areas. The facts indicate that Pakistan suffered a lot since the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom. For instance, apart from the over 1,000 military casualties, thousands of Pakistani civilians have been killed and injured at the hands of the militants.
The unjustifiable blames and demands of the Washington and Kabul are not going to help in combating terrorism in the region. They are counterproductive, and would only increase mistrust between the allies. The demand for reconsideration of counter-terrorism strategy in Pakistan has been receiving significant response. Many in the country believe that Pakistan’s insecurity has been increasing due to the continuity of its alliance with Americans in the War on Terrorism. It is in the national interest of Pakistan to distance from the global war on terrorism. This mindset of the people in Pakistan, certainly, is not in the interest of Washington and its allies. Therefore, the Americans and their allies ought to engage Islamabad instead of blaming, threatening and air strikes on its territory.  

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