Though Musharraf claims that the Durand Line will remain sacrosanct, there are not many takers for the promise in India. Unlike the Taliban dominated South and South-East Afghanistan, sources say, this area is shared with Al-Qaeda cadres.

The agreement provides space for reorganisation to take place, just like it happened 15 years ago. It was vital for Pakistan forces to withdraw if these designs are to fructify. This fact, sources say, is something US ground forces understand but clearly, officials here feel there is a “political disconnect” in Washington which has not objected to this move.

The logic given by the US is that it does not want to follow an “all stick, no carrot” policy with Pakistan. But beyond this, the bigger reality is the resurgence of Taliban as an organised and cohesive battle machine. All this while the project to raise an Afghan National Army refuses to evolve beyond its nascent stages and this does not augur well five years after 9/11.