The disclosure made by US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta about Pakistan starting a new offensive in an undisclosed agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) is likely to trigger heated debate in Islamabad about the feasibility of starting a military operation at this stage. It comes at a time when the crumbling edifice of ‘critical ties with Washington’ has barely been put together again.Panetta may have been quick to point out that the new offensive will not be targeting the Haqqani network, ratherindigenous Pakistani insurgents in the area, but his attempt at subtlety has clearly not been successful.