ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, July 4 (UPI) -- A former militant commander says the Pakistani military hasn't given up its strategy of using members of militant groups as proxies against its neighbors.
The military's strategy of helping to provide training, planning and protection to groups such as the Lashkar-e-Toiba, Harakat-ul-Mujahedeen and Hizbul Mujahedeen still continues, the former militant commander, described as being prominent, told The New York Times.
However, the former commander, who received the military's support for 15 years before he quit, said some of those trained by the military are questioning the strategy.
Pakistan has repeatedly told U.S. officials it stopped supporting the militant groups after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. The United States in the past 10 years has given more than $20 billion in aid to Islamabad.
The former commander, however, said the Pakistani military and intelligence agency continue to support the militant groups as part of its strategy against India in the Kashmir dispute and across the border in Afghanistan against U.S. and coalition forces. He named several former military officials and former intelligence chiefs as being involved in the program.
He said the Pakistani intelligence agency supports the militant groups even if some of them have now gone against the government since they want to use them in the fight against India.
The military has also lost control of some of the top militants, but is not ready to move against them, the former commander said.
"The Pakistani military establishment has become habituated to using proxies," he said.
The report said the former commander and others no longer wanted to fight the war against al-Qaida or be used to promote the objectives of some of the Pakistani generals.
