Pakistan and the War Against Terrorism in Afghanistan: Choices, Pragmatism and the Decision

Terrorist attacks against US on September 11 2001 and the US response to it, suddenly changed the geopolitical situation of South and Central Asia. Pakistan located at the crossroads of these two regions was affected profoundly. Pakistan had to take a fundamental foreign Policy decision. It had to abandon, the Afghan Policy, that depended on friendship of and support for Taliban, or stand by them against the imminent US ‘War on Terrorism’ of which they (Taliban) were the immediate target. Pakistan decided to ally itself with the United States led global War against terrorism. This paper attempts to analyze that Pakistani decision, which has been termed as a U–Turn by some.