MOUNTING pressure on Pakistan to go after a militant group blamed for attacks on US targets in Afghanistan is deepening anti-American sentiment, highlighting how difficult it will be for Washington to win more support for its war on militancy.
The rising antipathy to the US also makes it tougher for the government, already unpopular because of allegations of corruption and its failure to tackle poverty, to do anything that will be seen as caving into US demands to crack down harder on militancy.
US officials allege that Pakistan's powerful spy agency supported the Haqqani militant network that Washington blames for the recent attack on its embassy and other targets in Kabul.
Pakistanis view such accusations with deep suspicion and accuse the US of blaming their country to cover up for its own failures in the region.
"The allegations it has made against Pakistan were basically meant to hoodwink its own people," said Shaukat Ali Achakzai, a businessman in the city of Quetta.
"The government of Pakistan should strongly and forcefully respond to American allegations. The people of Pakistan will support it if it does so."
Washington and Islamabad are engaged in the harshest war of words since Pakistan joined the US "war on terror" after the September 11 2001 attacks.
Pakistan's foreign minister has warned the US it risked losing an ally by continuing to publicly criticise Islamabad's performance in the war against militancy.
Two weeks ago militants launched an assault against the US embassy and Nato headquarters in Kabul. US officials blamed the attacks on the Haqqani network. US officials said there was intelligence, including intercepted phone calls, suggesting the attackers were in communication with people connected to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence directorate.
Pakistan denies it has ties with the Haqqanis. But analysts say it sees the group as strategic asset in any future Afghan peace settlement.
Like their government, Pakistanis say the US is ungrateful despite Pakistan losing thousands of soldiers and security forces fighting al-Qaeda and other groups.
"America is oblivious to the fact that Pakistan has suffered the most in its war on terror campaign," said banker Hamza Khan.
"To allege that Pakistan is supporting the Haqqani network without providing solid evidence does not give it carte blanche to attack or threaten Pakistan."
Pakistanis are quick to remind the US that Jalaluddin Haqqani - the founder of the Haqqani network - was once one of Washington's best friends in the region.
He was a mujahideen commander who worked with the Americans in the 1980s to oust the Soviet Union from Afghanistan. Jalaluddin even visited the White House. - Reuters
Pakistan resists pressure from US
MOUNTING pressure on Pakistan to go after a militant group blamed for attacks on US targets in Afghanistan is deepening anti-American sentiment, highlighting how difficult it will be for Washington to win more support for its war on militancy.
The rising antipathy to the US also makes it tougher for the government, already unpopular because of allegations of corruption and its failure to tackle poverty, to do anything that will be seen as caving into US demands to crack down harder on militancy.
US officials allege that Pakistan's powerful spy agency supported the Haqqani militant network that Washington blames for the recent attack on its embassy and other targets in Kabul.
Pakistanis view such accusations with deep suspicion and accuse the US of blaming their country to cover up for its own failures in the region.
"The allegations it has made against Pakistan were basically meant to hoodwink its own people," said Shaukat Ali Achakzai, a businessman in the city of Quetta.
"The government of Pakistan should strongly and forcefully respond to American allegations. The people of Pakistan will support it if it does so."
Washington and Islamabad are engaged in the harshest war of words since Pakistan joined the US "war on terror" after the September 11 2001 attacks.
Pakistan's foreign minister has warned the US it risked losing an ally by continuing to publicly criticise Islamabad's performance in the war against militancy.
Two weeks ago militants launched an assault against the US embassy and Nato headquarters in Kabul. US officials blamed the attacks on the Haqqani network. US officials said there was intelligence, including intercepted phone calls, suggesting the attackers were in communication with people connected to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence directorate.
Pakistan denies it has ties with the Haqqanis. But analysts say it sees the group as strategic asset in any future Afghan peace settlement.
Like their government, Pakistanis say the US is ungrateful despite Pakistan losing thousands of soldiers and security forces fighting al-Qaeda and other groups.
"America is oblivious to the fact that Pakistan has suffered the most in its war on terror campaign," said banker Hamza Khan.
"To allege that Pakistan is supporting the Haqqani network without providing solid evidence does not give it carte blanche to attack or threaten Pakistan."
Pakistanis are quick to remind the US that Jalaluddin Haqqani - the founder of the Haqqani network - was once one of Washington's best friends in the region.
He was a mujahideen commander who worked with the Americans in the 1980s to oust the Soviet Union from Afghanistan. Jalaluddin even visited the White House. - Reuters