Shillong, August 3: The Pakistan federal cabinet has discreetly given the green light to a significant security pact with the US, enabling the procurement of military hardware from Washington.
The Communication Interoperability and Security Memorandum of Agreement (CIS-MOA) has been approved by the cabinet through a circulation summary, as per reliable government sources. However, no official statements have been made by Pakistan or the US regarding this development.
As per IANS, during the cabinet meeting, the circulation of the summary on the CIS-MOA was witnessed, but it remains uncertain if the majority of the cabinet members approved it.
The CIS-MOA is a standard agreement signed by the US with its allies and countries with whom it intends to maintain close military and defense ties. This agreement also provides legal cover for the US Department of Defense to sell military equipment and hardware to other nations.
The latest CIS-MOA, reportedly valid for the next 15 years, indicates a commitment from both sides to establish an institutional mechanism. Pakistan had previously been part of a similar agreement in October 2005, which lasted for 15 years and expired in 2020.
Under the new agreement, joint exercises, operations, training, basing, and equipment cooperation have been agreed upon by both Pakistan and the US.
Despite this development, security experts and analysts downplay the likelihood of Pakistan extensively buying military hardware from the US. They argue that long-term interests of Washington and Islamabad are not entirely aligned. However, both nations recognize the importance of each other in certain critical areas, making the agreement mutually beneficial.
One major concern surrounding this development is the secrecy maintained throughout the process. Additionally, the US-Pakistan alliance and the reaction of the Taliban regime in Kabul and various militant groups operating along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border pose further challenges.
