THE NATO troop build-up close to the Pakistan border might just be a routine matter, as DG ISPR Maj-General Athar Abbas observes, or an operation to mop up insurgents with no intention of crossing into Pakistan, as ISAF spokesman Capt Mike Finney contends, but it cannot fail to cause alarm in the tribal areas and, indeed, in the rest of the country. The movement of 300 soldiers, equipped with sophisticated weapons, aboard tanks and armoured vehicles comes in the backdrop of unsubstantiated but serious charges by President Hamid Karzai of the involvement of Pakistan's army and its intelligence agencies in recent terrorist attacks in Afghanistan. Besides, the US has repeatedly launched missile attacks on the tribal areas, even killing our security personnel, and threatening voices of military intervention, should Pakistan be seen as wanting, have of late been emanating more frequently from Washington and in more strident tones. Presidential hopeful Barrack Obama promises to "take out high-level terrorist targets like bin Laden", if Pakistan would not, saying that greater threat came from its tribal areas than Iraq. The Bush administration might judge the moment as most appropriate to upstage Democrats and launch a full-scale attack to shore up the prospects of Republican candidate John McCain. The concentration should, therefore, be taken seriously by the Pakistan government, entailing active diplomacy to put across our point of view. Although the Afghan President's allegations have been dismissed by the Foreign Ministry at Islamabad as an attempt to create an artificial crisis that could vitiate the atmosphere between the two countries, President Bush seems to be tilting towards Kabul's view and has offered to work with the Afghan intelligence agency to get to the bottom of the issue. Earlier when a suicide bomber had blown himself up before the Indian Embassy at Kabul and there were vague, knee-jerk reaction accusing Islamabad of foul play, Washington had clearly stated that Pakistan was not involved. Now Karzai's allegations are all-embracing; he appears to think that Pakistan has a finger in every pie prepared to ruin the peace in his country, as if there did not exist any anger among the local population against a large occupation force. Pakistan's tribal region is no doubt in turmoil, with indications of the presence of foreign militants, and should be of serious concern to all parties. But as things stand, the presence of Indian and Afghan agencies to create problems for Pakistan cannot be ruled out. Islamabad should mount all-out efforts to seek tribesmen's cooperation in re-establishing peace there.