Pakistan secretly endorses US-Pakistan security deal

The Pakistan federal cabinet has discreetly approved a significant security agreement with the United States, enabling the procurement of military equipment from Washington. The agreement is called the Communication Interoperability and Security Memorandum of Agreement (CIS-MOA). The cabinet approved the signing of this pact through a circulation summary, although official statements from both countries have not been made public yet.

The CIS-MOA is a standard agreement that the US signs with its allies and countries with which it intends to maintain close military and defense ties. It provides a legal framework for the US Department of Defense to sell military equipment and hardware to other countries.

The new agreement, valid for the next 15 years, indicates a mutual desire to maintain an institutional mechanism between Pakistan and the US. Previously, Pakistan was part of a similar agreement signed in 2005, which expired in 2020.

However, some security experts and analysts are skeptical about Pak purchasing military hardware from the US, as long-term interests between the two countries are not fully aligned. Nevertheless, the agreement serves certain purposes for both sides, with the US needing Pakistan’s cooperation in critical areas.

The development and the secrecy surrounding the agreement raise concerns about the reaction of the Taliban regime in Kabul and various militant groups operating from bordering areas of Pak and Afghanistan. Pak was considered a US ally during the time of the Afghan Taliban’s conflict with NATO forces in Afghanistan. The US had accused Pak of assisting in targeting high-profile Taliban commanders through drone strikes. With the recent military cooperation between Pak and the US, along with the presence of an Afghan Taliban-led government in Kabul and a surge in terrorism-related activities inside Pak, there may be a heightened risk of terror attacks by Taliban militants in the region.