Pak continuing support to Taliban and Haqqani group: US

Pakistan is continuing support to the Taliban and the Haqqani network as part of its back up plan to secure their western border in case the US leaves Afghanistan, a top US intelligence official has said.

Pakistan is continuing support to the Taliban and the Haqqani network as part of its back up plan to secure their western border in case the US leaves Afghanistan, a top US intelligence official has said.

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"They've got a backup plan," Dennis C Blair, Director of the National Intelligence told a Congressional hearing saying
that by continuing to support the Taliban and the Haqqani network, Pakistan is playing both ends against the middle.

Though Islamabad has been saying that it has snapped its links with the Taliban, Blair's comments clearly reflect the
US view that Pakistan is maintaining ties and support to these groups.

The US national intelligence chief said that Islamabad also continues to provide support to other Pakistan groups
that were operating in Afghanistan.

He said the safe havens that the insurgents have in Pakistan's tribal areas in Al-qaeda's most important outside
support.

"Disrupting that safe haven won't be sufficient by itself to defeat the insurgency in Afghanistan, but disrupting
that presence in Pakistan is a necessary condition for making overall progress in Afghanistan," he said.