U.S. Army photo General David Howell Petraeus, (right), is the 10th and current Commander, U.S. Central Command.

Recently, Pakistan had started pushing its offensive against the Taliban on its side of the border. The issue of fighting the Taliban has become a major international issue. It is also one issue that can be tied with the rest of the hot button issues surrounding the Middle East. The Times of India reports that the United States has given an ultimatum to Pakistan. This might add to the pressure on Pakistan to keep up its offensive against the Taliban. The ultimatum states that Pakistan must take out the Taliban on its side of the border within two weeks. After the two weeks, the United States will decide what plan of action to take next. This is according to General David Petraeus of US Central Command. Petraeus implied that Pakistan cannot rely on anymore excuses. The offensive has been focused on SWAT Valley in the northwestern part. United States and coalition troops are fighting the Taliban on the Afghan side of the border. An article on Voice of America has the perspective from Professor Akbar Ahmad of the American University. Despite the pressure of the offensive and the ultimatum from the United States, Ahmad implies that the government may be ill-equipped to fight off the Taliban insurgency. He explains that a permanent solution with the majority of Pakistan is required. The article also has perspectives from Afghan journalist Nabi Misdaq and Indian journalist Jehangir Pocha. According to Misdaq, Afghanistan’s government had concerns when the Taliban tried to expand further into Pakistan. Pocha explains that Pakistan’s situation has affected the threat of terrorism in India. Pocha points out that there are concerns with Pakistan’s military and intelligence. Pocha’s perspective coincides with another Times of India article. According to the article, the United States has said that India is one of the most terrorism-afflicted countries. It was not because of the Mumbai Massacre that took place in November of 2008. On a side note, the Mumbai Massacre had hurt Pakistan-India relations. In regards to the United States perspective, US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is seeking $1 billion+ to help Pakistan fight against the Taliban according to a UPI.com article. If the request is granted, money would be controlled by Pentagon Central Command. A Reuters article explains that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to have meetings with both Afghanistan and Pakistan. In regards to the two week ultimatum, an article on the Iranian-based Press TV gives further insight. In this article, Petraeus explains that Pakistan’s government could collapse within two weeks. Could this be the reason for the ultimatum from the US to Pakistan? This article talks about the possibility of Pakistan’s government crumbling in two weeks. The Times of India article explains that the US has given Pakistan a two-week deadline to stamp out the Taliban. In a similar article which is on the Telegraph, the two-week ultimatum is touched upon. Petraeus has given the implication that depending on what happens within the next two weeks, Pakistan’s government could still be intact or it could collapse. With everything factored together, it would seem that the fate of Pakistan could be decided in the next two weeks. Will Pakistan’s government collapse or remain intact? We will have to wait and see after those two weeks have passed.