Thirteen years after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, in which over 160 people were killed, Pakistan has brazenly refused to prosecute the accused. This impunity has been enabled by the failure of the international community—especially powerful countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and China—to impose meaningful costs on Islamabad. The result: Pakistan has become a rogue state and the epicentre of global terrorism.
Failure of the United States
The United States had both the legal grounds and strategic justification to act firmly against Pakistan. Six of the Mumbai victims were American citizens, and within days of the attacks Washington knew of the direct role of the Pakistani Army and its proxies in planning and execution. Yet, instead of sanctions or punitive measures, the US delivered only diplomatic reprimands.
This was not ignorance but strategic compromise. Successive US administrations treated Pakistan as indispensable in two objectives:
- The hunt for al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
- The stabilisation of Afghanistan to facilitate an eventual US withdrawal.
On both counts, Washington was deceived. Pakistan harboured bin Laden and simultaneously enabled the Taliban’s resurgence, funded and armed by US resources. The failure to punish Pakistan has been one of the greatest blunders of US foreign policy, culminating in America’s humiliating withdrawal from Afghanistan—a victory for Pakistan’s proxies and a boost to global jihad.
Even as far back as 2016, veteran diplomat Zalmay Khalilzad warned the US Congress about Pakistan’s systematic use of extremist proxies, urging that the country be listed as a state sponsor of terrorism. Washington ignored such advice and instead co-opted Pakistan as its “ally.” The price was strategic defeat.
China’s Shielding of Pakistan
Equally damaging has been the role of China, which has repeatedly used its veto at the UN Security Council to shield Pakistan-based terrorist outfits. Despite clear evidence, Beijing blocked efforts for years to sanction Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its chief, Hafiz Saeed. On the Mumbai attack, China offered token condemnation of terrorism while absolving Pakistan of responsibility.
China’s diplomatic protection has allowed Islamabad to violate international norms with impunity, embedding terrorism into its statecraft without fear of sanction.
UN and FATF’s Weakness
The United Nations has been ineffective in addressing Pakistan’s complicity. Meanwhile, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)—the global watchdog on terror financing—has displayed dangerous leniency. Despite Pakistan’s repeated failures to implement FATF directives, the country has remained on the grey list rather than being blacklisted.
The farce is evident: after FATF pressure, Pakistani authorities arrested six LeT leaders on terror financing charges. Yet, a high court has since dismissed these charges, and others, including Hafiz Saeed, may soon walk free. FATF’s failure to escalate punitive measures has reinforced Pakistan’s sense of impunity.
Conclusion
Pakistan’s transformation into a terror sponsor state has been facilitated not just by its military-intelligence establishment but also by the complicity and appeasement of global powers.
- The US traded justice and accountability for short-term strategic goals, only to be deceived.
- China actively shielded Pakistan to advance its own geopolitical interests.
- UN mechanisms and FATF failed to enforce meaningful accountability.
The international community’s collective weakness has emboldened Pakistan’s hybrid state of military and militant power, ensuring that terrorism remains entrenched as an instrument of policy. Unless Pakistan is held accountable—through sanctions, blacklisting, and international isolation—the world risks facing another catastrophe on the scale of 9/11.