ISLAMABAD - The latest US drone hit allegedly killing Afghan Taliban Chief Mullah Mansur Akhtar has been taken by security establishment of Pakistan as another major breach of trust after the US raid on OBL compound Abbottabad and Salalah border post attack.
According to sources, this is not less than a betrayal by the US against a country which played key role in the war against terror and suffered countless losses in terms of men and material.
“It still remains a mystery why the US had not taken Pakistan into confidence prior to its drone attack, and informed hours after the attack,” said a senior security official on request of anonymity.
He said it still not confirmed whether the alleged target of the US drone strike was the Taliban Chief Mullah Mansur, who according to him was out of contact for quite some time.
Sources also raised concerns about the mystery of Mullah Mansur’s travelling plans on Pakistani passport which could be forged in order to blame Pakistan. “It’s quite possible that enemy of Pakistan had planned the entire episode to malign it,” one source said.
Sources said the matter is under thorough investigation before drawing any conclusion.
Sources further said that Pakistan has been making sincere efforts for peace and stability in Afghanistan but its efforts were always sabotaged in one way or the other.
Sources said Pakistan has no direct control over Afghan Taliban as they had shifted their operations in Afghanistan after Pakistan attacked them and smashed their hideouts during the major military operation Zarb-e-Azb in Fata.
Sources were not sure about the prospects of Taliban joining the peace process under the quadrilateral mechanism, adding Pakistan’s efforts to persuade them to join the process were rejected by Taliban and their supreme leader Mullah Mansur Akhtar.
As regards possibility of more US drone strikes in Pakistan, sources said the national leadership will decide the course of Pakistan’s response to tackle such a threat.