By Dr Matloob Hussain
On December 14 2005, President Pervez Musharraf was visiting the head of the paramilitary Frontier Corps in northern Balochistan in Kohlu, when a rocket attack was carried out by some regional militant groups. The rockets landed near a camp of the Frontier Corps and a few days after the two top officials of FC had been injured in another attack on their helicopter. After that paramilitary law enforcement agencies started an operation against miscreants in Kohlu.
The paramilitary forces have also recovered arms and ammunition from the apprehended persons. The violence escalated in Balochistan has led to a series of bomb blasts. According to statistics, some 244 bomb blasts and 766 rocket attacks occurred in a year that killed and injured many people, which often targeted and damaged national property, strategic installations, including gas distribution networks, railway tracks, water pipelines and power stations, telephone exchanges etc. The chief minister’s house was also attacked by a car bomb blast.
No government can allow creation of such an atmosphere where the functioning of the government suffers. It is a collective responsibility of the federal and provincial governments to take steps for restoration of peace when and where required. The increasing gravity of the situation in the province is proof that the crackdown launched by the security forces. It was in the middle of 2004 when Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Yousaf revealed that India’s secret service RAW had been operating 30 to 40 terrorist camps at various locations in Balochistan, paying each terrorist approximately Rs 10,000 per month. On December 29, 2005, President of Pakistan also referred to a neighbourly country’s involvement in Balochistan. He has sometimes said that India is interested in managing rather than resolving the conflicts.
According to reports, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) is a pro-Moscow underground militant organisation which has the backing of RAW agents. The government of Balochistan reported that Indian agents are carrying out operations throughout the province. Officials say that RAW operatives have established terrorist camps in the province to fuel the activities of Baloch insurgent nationalists, and are aimed at provoking a full-blown insurgency leading to the eventual breakup of Pakistan. Some reports indicate the BLA comprises of charged-up Baloch youth who get money and weapons from India’s secret service RAW.
Under the garb of a freehand to the extent, the transportation of explosive material by India is being used for sabotage activities in Pakistan, especially in Sindh and Balochistan. For this purpose, secret routes of arms smuggling from India to Balochistan are being used. A small Indian town near Shahgarh and Kishangarh - is a supply depot, a training centre and a logistics support that maintains contacts with militant training camps in Pakistan, including Balochistan. This depot also serves as launching pad for the Indian supplies and experts. The method of transfer is simple. Arms, equipment, heavy machine guns, mortars, landmines, ammunition and communication equipment are transferred from Kishangarh and Shahgarh to Pakistani side on camel back and then they are shifted to goods trucks, with some legitimate cargo on top and the whole load is covered by tarpaulin sheets. The trucks are unloaded at Kohlu. The recovery of arms and ammunition in a huge quantity a few weeks ago from Balochistan is an example.
Pakistan Army’s spokesman Maj. Gen Shaukat Sultan states that he does believe that RAW is definitely involved in terrorist activities in Balochistan. While, reiterating his claim about the alleged involvement of RAW, Balochistan Chief Minister has said that none of the Sardars has the amount of money to maintain and sustain an army of 10,000 men under arms on a salary of Rs 6,000 to Rs 10,000, they are definitely getting money from India.
Both the countries were gradually enhancing the scope of their bilateral trade, exchanging lists of their respective nuclear installations and facilities, discussing on bilateral political issues, and Pakistan was keen to resolve all conflicts in a peaceful manner, but to this end, it can be argued that India is still stuck in competitive bargaining instead of distributive bargaining, which can offer both sides a win-win situation. In the mean time, India’s Ministry of External Affairs took a swipe at Pakistan on the Balochistan issue saying that New Delhi was concerned over the military action in that province and hoped that the situation could be resolved through a political dialogue. Pakistan showed strong reaction and countered the Indian statement by saying that our country is intrigued by this provocative statement.
Other analyses coming out of India suggest that New Delhi has taken the decision not to sit back and let Pakistan take pot shots at India for human rights violations in Indian-held Kashmir. It is clear that Balochistan is not a disputed territory but Kashmir most certainly is. Kashmir’s disputed nature is reflected in legal instruments from UN Resolutions. Kashmir does not fall into this category of India’s own internal affair. But on the other hand there are several insurgencies going on in India’s periphery but Pakistan sees that matters as India’s own internal affairs. Pakistan is a peaceful country and wants to live in peace with neighbouring India. And the steps being taken by Pakistan for its security is its right and on this no Pakistani would entertain outsiders’ views.
New Delhi has no business making an insidious connection between Balochistan and Kashmir if it doesn’t want Pakistan to start screaming about the Maoist trouble in India, or the state of affairs in the northeast, or the rabid nature of Gujarat state, etc. If India wants to be a big power, it should get rid of the pathology of a small power.
Email: yymatloob@yahoo.com
http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/jan-2006/23/columns2.php |
