Pakistan confronts US' Afghan strategy

Appearances have always been deceptive in Afghan politics. More so as the endgame of the brutal war gets under way. What passes for the current US-Pakistan acrimony over ISI's nexus with the Haqqani network in Afghanistan is quintessentially about setting the bottom line of the Afghan peace talks. Partners who claimed they were 'allies' are compelled to redefine the parameters of their collaboration. This is not easy as US and Pakistan are pursuing objectives and national interests that diverge strategically. India has done well by distancing itself from the US ploy to give the Afghan chessboard the dissimulating look of an India-Pakistan turf war. Read my Op-Ed in today's Hindu newspaper on the acts and scenes of this intricate shadow play.