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 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 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 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 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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