Washington, March 12: Belying claims of Pakistan being "frontline ally" of the US in the war against terror, Islamabad has issued veiled threats to Washington saying it was prepared for all consequences if the US attacked it after Iraq, according to a leading American think tank here. Pakistan fears it may become next target of the US in Washington's war against terror and is, therefore, seeing no alternative but to ingratiate itself with the US despite the pressure of the Islamists at home, stratfor.com, specialising in security matters, said.
As Islamabad sees the window closing on Iraq, it is seeking ways to avoid becoming the next target -- but the only thing to ensure that, will be increased cooperation by Pakistan against al-Qaeda suspects, something that threatens the internal stability of the government, it said. It said Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri's recent statement that Pakistan was prepared to defend itself and ready for all consequences if the US attacked it, though it was not a likely target after Iraq, was more than a simple reassurance for his countrymen.
It was a subtle threat to the United States. Pakistan is a nuclear power with a substantial military, and only this week officials inducted in to the army the intermediate-range Hatf-IV ballistic missile, it said.
And in written comments to the Pakistani National Assembly on March 5, Kasuri gave assurances that Islamabad has no intention of signing the comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty, the report said. Bureau Report