Once again the New York Times (15 Nov 2009) reports that “The Obama administration is stepping up pressure on Pakistan to expand and reorient its fight against the Taliban and Al Qaeda.” Even if backhanded, this is high compliment to Pakistan: over the course of this eight-year war, being conducted today by a coalition of 43 countries, whenever the going gets tough it is Pakistan — and only Pakistan — that is asked to get going.

List of ISAF Troop Contributing Nations, Afghanistan, 22 October 2009.

It is amusing what a casual search for articles asking Pakistan to “do more” ovr the last 10 years (by no means a complete list) yields:

2009
15 Nov - U.S. Asks More From Pakistan in War (New York Times)
20 Jul – ‘Do more’ advice from Isaf chief (Dawn)
13 May – US ‘Afpak’ strategy troubles some in US and Pakistan (CSM: “[ISAF & US forces chief David McKiernan] thinks Pakistan needs to do more to erase the Taliban….[David Kilcullen] thinks Pakistan is toast in less than six months.”)
19 Apr – U.S. commander: Pakistan must do more to fight Taliban (Reuters)
4 Apr – UK’s Brown says Pakistan must do more on terrorism (Reuters)
10 Mar – U.S. wants Pakistan to do more to bring Mumbai attackers to book (The Hindu)
26 Feb – Mumbai attacks: India urges Pak to do more (The Hindu)
19 Feb – Pakistan Must Do More To Fight LeT – Australian FM (Stratfor)
20 Jan – Pakistan tells powers to stop demanding more (Reuters)

2008
16 Dec – India-Pakistan talks seen stalled after attacks (Reuters: “India, the United States and Britain have blamed Lashkar-e-Taiba and other affiliated groups for the Mumbai attacks, saying Pakistan must do more to stamp out militants.”)
12 Dec – Germany tells Pak to ‘do more’, Brown in India Sunday (Indian Express)
11 Nov – India pushes Pakistan to do more about terrorism (New York Times)
30 Sep – Pakistani Refugees Pour Into Afghanistan (NYT: “Pakistani officials have cited the toll [1,368 members of Pakistan’s security forces killed and 3,348 wounded] as evidence that Pakistan has paid a heavier price fighting the militants than either American or Afghan troops. The claim has political resonance in Pakistan when the Bush administration and American commanders have demanded that Pakistan do more to crack down in the tribal agencies.”)
31 Jul – Pakistan PM meets a sceptical US (BBC: “The US has been pushing Pakistan to do more in the fight against pro-Taleban militants in areas near the Afghan border.”)
27 Jul – ‘Do more’ chorus harps on (Tehran Times)
25 Jul – Condoleezza Rice: Pakistan should do more to end violence (BH/AP)
22 Jul – Defense leaders: Pakistan must do more to police its tribal zone (RA)
1 Jul – Pakistan needs to do more for ‘credible’ polls – UK foreign minister (Forbes)
7 May – Rescuers retrieve bodies of 10 U.S. troops killed while hunting militants in Afghanistan (USA Today: “Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s new foreign minister said he thought neighboring Pakistan could do more to fight terrorism — an echo of comments a day earlier by the top U.S. counterterror official.”)
11 Apr – Rudd calls on Pakistan to do more on terrorism, China to do more on climate change (ABC)

2007
5 Mar – ‘Act now or let US do it, Musharraf told’ (Dawn: “Senator Dianne Feinstein, the number two Democrat on the committee, criticised measures so far taken by Pakistan, terming them half-hearted and urged Islamabad to do more… [Peter Hoekstra, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee] supported the demand for Pakistan to do more, which now echoes from every quarter of the US administration and legislature as well as the media. “You know the activities that we’ve got in Pakistan and along the border — I mean, we’ve got a full court press going on there. We may want Pakistan to do more things,” he said.”)
4 Mar – Pakistan must do more to stem al-Qaida, U.S. lawmakers say (TAIW)
28 Feb – EDITORIAL: Pressuring Pakistan: Musharraf must do more to block build-up of Taliban, terror groups (Newsday)
26 Feb – Do more against Taliban, al Qaeda, Cheney asks Pakistan (Reuters)
21 Feb – Prominent MP says Pakistan must do more to stop “terrorists” from entering Iran (ISNA Tehran)
27 Jan – US goads Pakistan to do more against Taliban (Dawn)
14 Jan – Pakistan needs to do more, says US (Dawn)
8 Jan – Pakistan needs to do more on Taliban, U.N. says (Reuters)

2006
26 Nov – US senator urges Pakistan to do more to ease violence in Afghanistan (TAIW)
17 Nov – Karzai pushes Pakistan to do more against Taliban (Reuters)
6 Oct – Pakistan must do more on Taliban – US senator (Reuters)
26 Sep – Afghan paper urges Pakistan to do more to avert threat of terrorism in region (Weesa, Kabul)
13 Sep – Pakistan must do more on terrorism: Singh (Taipei Times/AP)
7 Jul – Afghan FM: Pakistan Should Do More to Prevent Cross-Border Terrorist Attacks (VOA)
27 Jun – Rice to press Pakistan to do more in ‘war on terror’ (Turkish Press)
8 May – Islamabad can do more to curb terror, says Kabul (Dawn)
20 Mar – Afghanistan Says Pakistan Must Do More To Battle Taliban (RFE)
1 Mar – Pak must do more to combat terrorism: Bush (PTI)

2005
15 Nov – Sept. 11 commission says Pakistan must do more to fight terror (PTI)
28 Sep – Article: Women’s conference urges Pakistan to do more to protect their rights (AP)
2 Aug – Panel says Pakistan should do more to help U.S. (AP)
17 Jun – Outgoing US envoy in Afghanistan urges Pakistan to do more in catching terrorist (JA-TV)
31 May – Indian Leader Says Pakistan Must Do More to Rein In Extremists (WaPo)

2004
22 Dec – Afghan governor says Pakistan should do more to rein in Taleban (AAIW)
21 Dec – Pakistan must do more (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
28 Sep – Farooqi killing fine, but do more, says US (TOI)
30 Aug – India to ask Pak to do more on terror (TOI)
16 Mar – Powell Wants Pakistani Help In Chasing Taliban Remnants (NYT:“Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, opening a visit to South Asia, said Monday that he would press President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan to do more to track down Taliban remnants on the Afghanistan border and to tell the United States more about his military’s involvement in past nuclear proliferation activities.”)
25 Feb – Pakistan strikes Al Qaeda haven (CSM: “US military officials have said they felt the Pakistanis could do more.”)

2003
24 Nov – Afghanistan again demands Pakistan to do more to fight terrorism (AP)
23 Nov – Afghan president says Pakistan must do more to curb Taliban (EIW)
20 Nov – Afghan interior minister urges Pakistan to do more to stop “terrorists” (AAIW)
20 Nov – Pak must do more: US envoy (Indian Express)
28 Aug – Fed: Pakistan could do more to fight terrorism: Downer (AAP)
22 Aug – Sen. McCain calls for Pakistan to do more to stop terror attacks in Afghanistan (AP)
26 Jun – Afghan paper wants Pakistan to do more for combating terrorism (AAIW)
8 May – India wants Pakistan to do more to crack down on militants (ABCN)

2002
28 Dec – Pakistan could do more, says US general (Dawn)
27 Nov – UK envoy in India urges Pakistan to do more to stop cross-border terrorism (AAIW)
17 Nov – Afghan paper says Pakistan must do more to fight terrorism (AAIW)
18 Oct – Pakistan must do more than just withdraw border forces: India (EIW)
9 Aug – Russian minister says Pakistan should do more to combat terrorism (AAIW)
27 Jul – Pak must do more, India tells Powell (PTI)
30 Jun – India’s Advani wants Pakistan to do more to end cross-border terrorism (DD)
29 May – Musharraf has to do more: Straw (The Hindu)
27 May – World challenges Pakistan to do more to stop militants; Russia sends its envoy to plead for talks (AP)
27 May – World challenges Pakistan to do more to stop militants (TDC)
7 Jan – India says Pakistan should do more to fight terrorism (GBN)
6 Jan – Angry India says Musharraf must do more than just shake hands (Telegraph)
4 Jan – Powell urges Pakistan to do more (BBC)

2001
30 Dec – Bush Administration Tries to Resolve India/Pakistan Conflict (CNN: “He [Mr. Bush] applauded General Musharraf for arresting about 50 militants a few days ago, but said that Pakistan must do more to stop those extremists, Mr. Bush called them, we are told, who are trying to undermine Pakistan and possibly provoke a war.”)
13 Nov – Powell Says Muslim Nations Should Be Peacekeepers in Kabul (NYT: “Pakistan could also do more to undermine Taliban control, he said.”)

1999
9 Oct – Iran: Qom Friday imam calls on Pakistan to do more to protect Shi’i Muslims (VIRIN)
25 Aug – Iranian leader tells Pakistan to do more on Iranian killings (VIRIN)