By
Sajjad Shaukat
At least 65 people were killed and more than 100 others were
injured when a blast struck at the shrine of the Sufi saint Shah
Noorani in Balochistan’s Hub Tehsil on November 12, this year.
The Islamic State group (Also known as Daesh, ISIS, ISIL) claimed
responsibility for the attack via Amaq, its affiliated news agency.
ISIS claimed responsibility for a terror attack on the Police
Training College in Quetta-the provincial capital of Pakistan which left at
least 60 individuals dead on October 24, 2016.
Earlier, an affiliated faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
(TTP), the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Jamaat-ur-Ahrar (TTP-JA) took
responsibility for a deadly suicide bombing in Quetta, which killed at least 74
people on August 8, 2016 in an attack at the government-run Civil Hospital. The
Middle East-based movement of the ISIS also accepted responsibly for that
blast.
However, it was part of ploy that two terrorist groups accepted
responsibility for the terror assaults in Quetta to divert the attention from
the US-led India and Israel. Especially, Washington and New Delhi are playing
double game with Pakistan to obtain the clandestine aims, particularly by
trying to sabotage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
It is of particular attention that the blast at
the shrine of the Shah Noorani exploded, one day before the Prime
Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif inaugurated the Gwadar port which is a warm-water, deep-sea port on the Arabian Sea in
Balochistan, and is the center of $46 billion Pak-China project of the
CPEC.
Following the inauguration ceremony, the port has formally been
operationalized for trade activities through the western route of CPEC. In this
regard, Prime Minister Sharif said, “I want to make it clear that CPEC is not
only for a particular province but for entire Pakistan…the enemy of CPEC is
enemy of Pakistan…Pakistan will leave no stone unturned to materialize the CPEC
in time.”
Pakistan’s Army Chief General Raheel Sharif who also participated
in inauguration event has repeatedly stated that Pakistan will complete the
CPEC project at every cost.
Nevertheless, regarding the terror attack on the Police Training
College, IG FC Major General Sher Afgun had informed the press that the
attackers acted on directions from Afghanistan and the initial
investigation suggests that the terrorists were affiliated with the outlawed
Lashkar-e- Jhangvi Al Almi militant group. He elaborated, “We came to know from
the communication intercepts that there were three militants who were getting
instructions from Afghanistan.”
Notably, as part of the dual strategy, CIA, RAW and Mossad are in
connivance with the Afghan intelligence agency, National Directorate of
Security (NDS) and other terrorist groups. With latest capture of six NDS
supported terrorists in Balochistan, the number of NDS backed terrorists
arrested and killed by Pakistani Intelligence agencies has crossed over 126.
These external secret agencies are particularly supporting the TTP which is
hiding in Nuristan and Kunar provinces of Afghanistan. Reportedly, Mullah
Fazlullah led TTP is being prepared to carry out a fresh wave of terror
activities inside Pakistan, as the latter has become center of the Great Game
owing to the ideal location of Balochistan.
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 location among South Asia, the oil-rich
Middle East, and oil and gas-resourced Central Asia has further increased its
strategic significance. Besides, Balochistan’s abundant mineral resources
irritate the eyes of the US, India and Israel which intend to weaken Pakistan
for their collective aims, as the latter is also the only nuclear country in
the Islamic World.
As regards Balochistan, every Pakistani knows that the militant
outfits like ISIS and separatist groups like the Balochistan Liberation Army
(BLA) and their affiliated groups, including Jundollah (God’s soldiers) and
Lashkar-i-Janghvi which have been creating unrest in the Balochistan get
logistic support from RAW and Mossad with the tactical assistance of CIA. In
the recent years, these terrorist outfits massacred many persons through
suicide attacks, bomb blasts, targeted killings and sectarian violence. These
externally-supported insurgent groups had kidnapped and killed many Chinese and
Iranian nationals in Pakistan including Iranian diplomats. They have claimed
responsibility for a number of terror assaults, including those on Shias in
Balochsitan and Iranian Sistan-Baluchistan.
In fact, like Syrian war, as part of the double game, CIA, RAW and
Mossad are especially using ISIS terrorists who are behind the latest blasts in
Balochistan to obtain the covert aims of their countries against Pakistan,
China and Iran.
It is also of particular attention that arrest of the Indian spy
Kulbushan Yadav in Balochistan has exposed Indian undeclared war against
Pakistan. While addressing a joint press conference with Federal Minister for
Information Pervaiz Rasheed, Director General of Inter-Services Public
Relations (ISPR) Lt. Gen. Asim Saleem Bajwa said on March 29, 2016, “Kulbushan
Yadav’s arrest is a rare case that does not happen very often.” He disclosed
that Yadav was an active officer of the Indian Navy prior to his joining RAW.
He also served as a scrap dealer and had a jewelry business in Chahbahar, Iran,
after he joined RAW in 2013.
A video was also shown during the press conference in which Yadav
confessed that he spied for India. Yadav admitted that he was assigned with the
task to create unrest in Karachi and Balolchitan by stating, “I supported the
individuals who worked to destabilize Pakistan…I promoted the criminal mindset
that was there in Balochistan.” Another task assigned to him was to target the
Gwadar Port. Yadav also confessed—funding Baloch separatists along with other
terrorists. During investigation, RAW agent
Yadav admitted that during his stay, he contacted various Baloch separatist
leaders and insurgents, including Dr Allah Nazar Baloch, to execute the task to
damage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s secret agencies uncovered another ring of Indian spies in the country, working
as under covert agents, found involved in subversive activities to destabilize
Pakistan. In this connection, on November 2, this year, Islamabad disclosed
that five Indian diplomats who were serving at the Indian High
Commission in Islamabad found to be part of the RAW spy network and were
involved in subversive activities by facilitating and funding terrorism. They
were declared as persona non grata and expelled from the country.
As a matter of fact, almost all the terrorists or terrorist groups
and insurgency in Pakistan, especially Balochistan have their connections in
Afghanistan. The porous border between Pakistan and Afghanistan is frequently
used by human and drug traffickers, criminals and terrorists. Their easy access
through unguarded porous border provides opportunity to miscreants to cause
havoc inside Pakistan and Afghanistan. For effective counter terrorism measures
strong border, control management is vital at Pak-Afghan border. But, Afghan
rulers are using delaying tactics in this respect.
Taking note of the anti-Pakistan intruders, Pakistan’s army had
decided to build a fence along the border, and to control the border crossings.
The strategic project of 1,100-kilometre-long trench with the cost of Rs14
billion which was initiated along Pak-Afghan border in Balochistan by Frontier
Corps in 2013 has been completed this year. In the next phase, the project will
be extended to the entire long border with Afghanistan which had opposed this
plan.
While, from time to time, controversy arises between Afghanistan
and Pakistan when Afghan officials refused to recognize the Durand Line which
is the 2640 kilometer long and porous border, situated between both the
countries.
The issue again came to the limelight on June 12, 2016 when Afghan
security forces started unprovoked firing at Torkham border crossing, resulting
in injuries to more than 16 Pakistani citizens, including the martyrdom of some
Pakistani security personnel. The aim was to stop Pakistan from construction of
a gate.
Durand Line has not been drawn by Pakistan, but it was declared
border line by British representative Sir Durand and Afghan Ameer Ghazi
Amanullah Khan in 1919. People of Pakistan’s province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and
FATA (Tribal Areas) opted to join Pakistan in 1947. So, it is a declared border
line and Afghan government has no right to object on any construction along
with the Durand line.
There is no doubt that escalation of tension at Pak- Afghan border
is deliberately engineered by the elements opposed to peace talks and
improvement of bilateral relations between Islamabad and Kabul.
Pakistan is committed to tackle the problem of terrorism
mainly emanating from Afghanistan. Hence, the effective border management
becomes imperative to control all the terrorism-related infiltrations, drug
smuggling etc. Moreover, effective border management will also facilitate
both countries to come out of blame game, as it would offer a strict check on
both sides to counter the free movement of terrorists and drug mafia lords, who
are the important factors of deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan
and its obvious backlash on Pakistan.
Besides, Afghan peace and reconciliation process is a reality
despite of its slow pace and continual interruptions. The positive trajectory
of constructive relations between Islamabad and Kabul raised alarm-bells
amongst the US-led adversaries who are attempting to affect the progressive
Pak-Afghan relations through smear and sinister scheming.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have previously suggested many
initiatives to resolve their differences. However, as fast as these solutions
had emerged they have disappeared due to lack of follow-up. Afghanistan and
Pakistan have no other option, but to cooperate and resolve their differences
through political and diplomatic dialogue. Besides, there is a huge lack
of trust between the both sides. Therefore, it is imperative for both the
countries to develop a framework for strategic dialogue, focused on short,
medium and long term solutions. As a trust building initiative, an effective
border management mechanism will be beneficial for the two countries. Such
an establishment will also plug in many loop holes, being manipulated by the
terrorist outfits to conduct cross border terrorism.
It is also of particular attention that the armed forces of
Pakistan have broken the backbone of the foreign-backed terrorists by the
successful military operation Zarb-e-Azb, which has also been extended to other
parts of the country, including Balochistan. And Pakistan’s primary
intelligence agency, ISI has broken the network of these terrorist groups by
capturing several militants, while thwarting a number of terror attempts.
It is notable that since the government of the Balochistan
province announced general pardon and protection to the Baloch militants as
part of reconciliation process, many insurgents and their leaders have
surrendered their arms and decided to work for the development of Pakistan and
the province, peace has been restored in Balochistan.
Nonetheless, recent blasts in Balochistan show
that the US-led India and Israel have again started acts of sabotage in the
province to weaken Pakistan and to sabotage the CPEC.
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_pak@hotmail.com
Courtesy Veterans Today
No comments:
Post a Comment