By
Sajjad Shaukat
Although in the recent
years, Pakistan’s civil and military high officials have been saying that
foreign hands are behind the insurgency in Balochistan province in order to
destabilize Pakistan, yet army chief’s clear statement in this respect is
notable.
During his visit to
Quetta, Chief of Army Staff Gen. Raheel Sharif on April 15, this year warned
foreign forces and spy agencies against destabilizing Pakistan by supporting
insurgents in Balochistan. Gen. Raheel elaborated, “Army will continue
supporting the Balochistan government till terrorism is wiped out…those found
involved in funding and facilitating terrorists will be dealt with iron hands.”
Expressing his
condolences over killing of 20 workers in Turbat, he also warned all miscreants
and anti-state elements to refrain from their terror-activities.
In fact, Gen. Raheel
Sharif was compelled to expose conspiracy against Pakistan after the gunmen
killed 20 laborers in the deadliest attack on April
11, who were working at a dam construction site in the Turbat district of
Baluchistan.
On the same day of the
incident, Balochistan’s Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch and Interior
Minister Sarfraz Bugti said that a militant group funded by Indian spy agency,
RAW was behind the brutal attack in Turbat.
However, as part of the
strategic game in Balochistan, negative role of foreign forces and intelligence
agencies which are working against the integrity of Pakistan needs attention.
When during the
Musharraf regime, Pakistan government initiated the construction of Gwadar
deep-seaport in Balochistan province in March 2002 with Chinese assistance,
sirens went off in the capitals of foreign countries, especially the United
States, India and Israel. The US took it as a threat to its global plans, and
India felt that it threatened its integrity. Israel took it as a greater threat
from an Islamic country.
Located on the
southwestern coast of Pakistan, Balochistan’s Gwadar seaport is close to the
Strait of Hormuz from where more than 17 million barrels of oil passes every
day. Its ideal location among three key regions, South Asia, the oil-rich
Middle East, and oil and gas-resourced Central Asia has further increased its
strategic significance. Its development has shifted the Great Game of Central
Asia to Pakistan. Hence, sirens still continue alarming in the foreign
countries.
And, Balochistan’s
abundant mineral resources like gas, coal and gold, entailing Pakistan’s close
ties with China pinches the eyes of the US, India, Israel and some western
countries which intend to destabilize Pakistan for their collective aims.
Besides, Gwadar’s development has created strategic irritations among certain
powers including America, India, Iran and Afghanistan.
Therefore, with the
tactical support of American CIA and Israeli Mossad, Indian RAW has continuously
been assisting the Baloch separatist groups and Baloch Sub Nationalists to
conduct subversive acts—and using terrorist elements in Balochistan to threat
Chinese interest in the development of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
However, Afghanistan has become a hub from where external secret agencies have
been funding and arranging subversive activities in other parts of
Pakistan—especially in Balochistan through their affiliated militant groups at
the cost of Pakistan, China and Iran. In the past few years, they abducted and
killed many Chinese and Iranian nationals in Pakistan.
It is of particular
attention, that Indian former Army Chief Gen. VK Singh openly admitted that
during his tenure, he supervised special army unit, Tactical Support Division
(TSD) on the instructions of the then defence minister to sponsor acts of
sabotage in Pakistan, particularly Balochistan.
It is mentionable that
during his trip to Beijing, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chinese
Prime Minister Li Keqiang signed eight agreements on July 5, 2013 in various
fields. The most important one envisages the establishment of CPEC between deep
Gwadar seaport of Balochistan and the historic Silk Road city in western
regions-Xinjiang of China—connecting to Gilgit-Baltistan through Khunjerab
Pass. Beijing has also offered to build an international airport, while the
roads infrastructure in Gwadar would be connected with the communication
network of rest of the country to facilitate transportation of goods. By rejecting
US growing pressure, Pakistan has handed over the control of Gwader seaport to
China.
While, in May, 2013, a
day before Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrived in Islamabad; Chinese engineers
being driven through Clifton Block-1 in Karachi escaped a major bomb attack.
It is worth-mentioning
that during China’s visit, Gen. Raheel Sharif, on January 25, 2015, China’s
Vice Chairman of Central Military Commission Gen. Fan has assured that China
will assist Pakistan in every challenge.
It is noteworthy that in
February 8, 2012, three Republican Congressmen including Dana Rohrabacher,
Louie Gohmert and Steve King tabled a bill before US Congress stating,
“Balochistan is currently divided between Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan with
no sovereign rights of its own. In Pakistani Balochistan the people are
subjected to violence and extrajudicial killings.” The bill favoured Baloch
rights of self-determination, having a sovereign state—and must be afforded the
opportunity to choose their own status.
As regards the
deteriorating situation of Balochistan, everyone knows that Balochistan
Liberation Army (BLA) and their affiliated outfits including another group,
Jundollah (God’s soldiers) which have been fighting for secession of the
province gets logistic support from RAW and other anti-Pakistan spy
agencies—these militants kidnapped and killed many innocent people and the security
personnel in the province. They also massacred many persons through suicide
attacks, bomb blasts, targeted killings and sectarian violence. Hence, they are
responsible for dumped bodies and extrajudicial killings in the province. On a
number of occasions, these insurgent groups claimed responsibility for their
subversive acts. The main aim behind is to create unrest in Balochistan and to
discourage Beijing for the development of Gwadar port.
Taking cognizance of the
foreign powers’ anti-Pakistan designs, Islamabad has made extraordinary
security arrangements, as Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to visit
Pakistan on April 20, this year.
It is remarkable that a
Gallup survey of the UK official body, DFID, conducted on July 20, 212, had
disclosed that the vast majority of the Baloch people oppose the idea of an
independent Balochistan.
As a result of the
general elections 2013, the government led by the nationalist leader Chief
Minister Balochistan Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch was established in Balochistan,
while on December 7, 2013; local bodies elections were largely held in a
peaceful manner in the province. These elections proved that majority of the
Baloch are loyal to the federation, and have rejected the case of separatists,
being projected by foreign forces which are destabilizing Pakistan by
supporting anti-state elements in Balochistan.
Sajjad Shaukat writes on
international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants,
Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations
Email:
sajjad_logic@yahoo.com
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