Pakistani Intelligence Pushing Taliban To Fight Coalition

US officials and Taliban militants have told Wall Street Journal that officers of Pakistani intelligence agency are urging the Taliban fighters to fight America and its allies in neighboring Afghanistan.

The explosive allegation is the most severe yet in a slew of criticisms directed towards Pakistan by the US, and indicates a worsening relationship with a key partner in the Afghan War. The US has already committed hundreds of millions of dollars to development and military projects in Pakistan.

The US and the Afghan government have been trying to convince mid-level Taliban leaders to lay down their arms in exchange for cash or jobs. The latest Afghan attempt to initiate a peace process came about in Kabul this week.

But officials claim that only few militants have surrendered. Some US officials and Taliban leaders say that militant commanders are being pressurized by members of Pakistani Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) to not lay down their arms. "The ISI wants to arrest commanders who are not obeying (ISI) orders", a Taliban leader in Kunar province told.

According to US officials, they've heard similar things from captured fighters as well as those negotiating to surrender.

Pakistani officials have rejected the allegation, claiming that Pakistan is fighting Taliban, not assisting them. "Whenever anything goes wrong in Afghanistan, ISI is to be blamed," said a senior Pakistani official. "Honestly, they see ISI agents behind every bush in Afghanistan."

The Taliban leader in Kunar said he is against the presence of foreign forces on his soil and has no intention to lay down arms. But "the ISI wants us to kill everyone—policemen, soldiers, engineers, teachers, civilians—just to intimidate people", he told.