As ISI chief Lt Gen Zaheer-ul-Islam held crucial talks with his CIA counterpart David Petraeus, a damning report by a prestigious US Military Academy has said that the dreaded Haqqani Network receives financial and logistic support from the Pakistani military.
The report on financing of Haqqani network by Combating Terrorism Centre of the US Military Academy in West Point, New York, also said the Afghan Taliban-linked group has a massive network of "mafia"-style financing operation that relies on extortion, kidnapping, smuggling and ties to legitimate businesses.
It, however, noted that the relationship between the Haqqani network and the Pakistani spy agency ISI is not that smooth as being seen from the outside world and very often there is friction between the two.
"There is difference between having a relationship and being under control," said a senior Pakistani religious figure with close ties to the network. "They have a relationship with the ISI, but they are not under their control."
While both the Pakistani embassy here and the CIA did not divulge the details of the meeting between Islam and Petraeus, it is believed that the latter pushed the Pakistani spy chief to take more strong action against the Haqqani network.
{{/usCountry}}While both the Pakistani embassy here and the CIA did not divulge the details of the meeting between Islam and Petraeus, it is believed that the latter pushed the Pakistani spy chief to take more strong action against the Haqqani network.
{{/usCountry}}"In addition to private donors, the network has continued to receive financial and logistical support from the Pakistan military, and continues to maintain close operational ties with the ISI," the report said.
It said that historical communication logs between the Haqqani network and the ISI, which are now publicly available, suggest a link between the two.
"Islamabad has repeatedly denied it provides support to the Haqqani network. However, Pakistan has resisted US pressure to launch military operations against the Haqqanis, and then-CIA chief Leon Panetta has openly confronted his counterpart in the ISI over evidence that Pakistani authorities alerted Haqqani members ahead of a raid in North Waziristan," the report said.