NPR

Pakistan's Long Support For Militants Puts The Country In A Bind

Pakistan has long supported militants fighting to its east in India and to its west in Afghanistan. The country says it's cracking down on militants, but many critics are skeptical.
Pakistani demonstrators hold national flags and shout slogans during an anti-Indian protest in Karachi on March 3.Tensions have been running high between India and Pakistan for the past month and the two sides have been trading fire in the disputed Kashmir region.

Pakistan's ambassador to the U.S., Asad Khan, says India is hastily and unfairly blaming his country for a Feb. 14 suicide bombing that killed more than 40 Indian security force members in the disputed Kashmir region.

"India pointed the finger at Pakistan within minutes. The Indian government and media went into overdrive, whipping up war hysteria against Pakistan," Khan said recently in Washington.

The bombing was carried out by a young Muslim man who grew up in Indian-administered Kashmir, and Pakistan says arrested dozens of suspected militants in recent days, in an effort to show it's cracking down at home.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR1 min read
Switzerland's Nemo Wins Eurovision 2024 In A Year Of Protests
The Swiss singer and rapper was one of two nonbinary artists in the finals at this year's event held in Malmo, Sweden. Meanwhile, protesters called for Israel's disqualification from the contest.
NPR4 min read
Israel Expands Evacuation Orders In Rafah As Aid Groups Struggle To Prepare
Israel's military issued new evacuation orders in Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah, forcing even more Palestinians to relocate on Saturday ahead of a likely expanded ground operation there.
NPR2 min read
Brian Wilson Of The Beach Boys Is Being Placed Under A Legal Conservatorship
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge approved the conservatorship Thursday, noting that Brian Wilson suffers from "a major cognitive disorder." Wilson has agreed to the conservatorship.

Related Books & Audiobooks