The foreign office of Pakistan has finally taken the necessary steps to speak up against the blame game that has been going on for a while. The constant portrayal of Pakistan as the sponsor of terrorism in the region is a statement that is far-fetched, but also completely incorrect to begin with. Getting India on board to push the narrative and making it seem like Iran also believes the same, does not automatically label it as correct.

The US has also been buying in to the narrative, primarily because of their interest in the area, and the support that they must provide to India to counter China as a growing power in the region. However, the foreign office has warned both Afghanistan and the US of not indulging in the blame game because it weakens the efforts against ridding the region from the control of terrorism.

In recent history, Pakistan has carried out three military operations against the terrorists. These include operation Zarb-e-Azb, Radd-ul-Fasaad, and Khyber IV. It is also the only country in the region to have made successful gains against the terrorists; the recent retaking of the strategic Brekh top in Rajgal is only one of the many strides made in the war on terror.

After all these efforts, when Pakistan still has to deal with the restriction of aid from the US and India carrying out attacks on the Line of Control and refusing to grant medical visas to our citizens; it does not make the job any easier.

The US has finally admitted that the solution to the problem lies in including Pakistan in the solution. The statement was given at the International Institute for strategic Studies in Washington. This can be done via engaging in a dialogue with the Taliban, because killing them is not reducing their reach.

A new policy to end the Afghan war is being worked upon in the US. This might just encompass the entire region of South Asia. If US does indeed offer an olive branch to us we must accept, the Pakistani government now needs to devise a strategy for the inclusion of FATA in the larger political setup, so that such glitches can be removed. At the same time, the implementation of the National Action Plan is a must.