By: Iqbal Choudhry
ISLAMABAD: The United States and India are responsible for deteriorating security situation in Balochistan as both established a strong combined intelligence network during the Afghan war at Jabalus Siraj, famously known as mouth of Punjsher Valley, the dominant area of Northern Alliance forces, said two retired army generals Thursday.
General (r) Mirza Aslam Beg, former chief of army staff, and Lt General (r) Hamid Gul former director general of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), were talking to The Post.
Both of them were of unanimous view that some foreign hands like the United States were behind the ongoing trouble in Balochistan whereas India was on the forefront operating and assisting terrorist activities there.
General Beg said he had been saying for the last four years that Indians were behind the scene in Balochistan.
During the Afghan war, he said, the CIA, Mosad, RAW and MI 6 established a strong intelligence network in Punjsher Valley to control the whole activities of the region.
He said India while playing the role of opportunist, got benefit through the strong intelligence network and succeeded in establishing its consulates offices in Qandhar, Jalalabad and Hirat.
"India has been operating terrorist activities in Balochistan through its consulates that are working like intelligence offices now," he said.
He said India wanted to retaliate to Pakistan through Balochistan on Kashmir situation because it would never be able to control freedom fighters in Kashmir.
He termed the recent Pak-India negotiation and composite dialogue process "meaningless" if both nuclear powers did not seriously try to solve the Kashmir issue.
General Gul, while quoting Balochistan Governor Awais Ghani, who in a statement said weapons worth Rs 5 billion including antiaircraft guns were supplied in Balochistan through neighboring country, believed that India was behind all movements.
He said when Pakistan started military operations against terrorists in Wazirastan two years ago, the Indian government did not utter even a single word on it.
In the same context, he said, when Pakistan started operations against terrorists in Balochistan, the Indians started issuing statements against the operations.
"It means, the terrorists who are fighting in Balochistan are friends of India and foes of Pakistan; that is the only reason the Indian government expressed concern against military operations in the province."
He said Balochistan has 1200-kilometre long boundary along with Afghanistan and Indians, through Jibalus Siraj - combined intelligence base in Afghanistan, were assisting and operating Baloch tribes’ activities and adding fuel to fire.
He alleged the US forces present in Afghanistan were supporting India to safeguard its interest in Balochistan and wanted to cover Iran through Balochistan, as they were going to plan an attack on Iran.
After 1977 martial-law in Pakistan, he said, Marri tribe would run towards Afghanistan after a clash with the government and would live in Afghanistan in two camps, one near Qandhar, under General Sharoof and Ali Gul, and the other near Lashkargah in the province of Halmand where Mir Hazar Khan Bajarani was in charge.
Criticising Marri tribe, he said Kher Buksh Marri remained in Kabul most of the time in the past. During President Ghulam Ishaq Khan’s regime, the government of Pakistan allowed Marri tribe to re-enter Balochistan offering package of Rs 80 million in Marri, he added.
He said foreign hands wanted to use the name of Iran while in fact Iran had nothing to do with Balochistan’s troubled situation.
Denying the Shiite groups’ involvement in Balochistan, he said majority of Baloch were Sunnis and in the Siestan area of Iran bordering Balochistan, majority were Sunnis and foreign hands could not use these elements against Iran.
He said terrorists in Balochistan would never get united due to racial difference among them as they had some Pukhtoon groups like Kakaer etc.
When The Post contacted former foreign secretary, Abdul Sattar, he said the Pakistani government responded very well to Indian statements on Balochistan.
http://www.thepost.com.pk/NatNews.aspx?dtlid=19293&catid=2
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