The Russian Card

The Russian Card
Dr. Jassim Taqui

The Russians mean business. They quickly adapted to the peculiar political system in Pakistan by opting to focus on cementing ties with the strong military Establishment.
According to  ISPR, a Russian military delegation visited the restive North and South Waziristan tribal regions on Thursday. The Russia’s Deputy Chief of General Staff, Col. General Israkov Sergi Yuryevich, led the visitors.
A Pakistan army statement said the delegation was briefed about efforts to clear the northwestern tribal region along the Afghan border from terrorists belonging to different militant groups, mainly Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Al-Qaeda remnants.
The delegation, also accompanied by Pakistan's Lt. Gen. Nazir Butt, was also briefed about border management and socio-economic development projects in the area for enduring stability, it added.
North Waziristan and South Waziristan are two of seven tribal regions in Pakistan where the army launched full-scale onslaughts to clear them from TTP and its allies in 2014 and 2009 respectively.
According to ISPR, the army has cleared militants from 90 percent of the region.
Al-Bab has the credit to be the first to recommend stronger ties with Russia way back in 2002. 

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