RAW’s interference from Afghanistan continues

Senior Pakistani officials are unanimous on Indian interference in Pakistan from the Afghan side. Most recently, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Zubair Hayat said India’s premier spy agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), was operating from Afghanistan to sabotage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). “Indian intelligence is operating from Afghanistan to sabotage the multi-billion dollar CPEC project,” the CJCSC said while addressing a passing out parade of naval cadets in Karachi. “Pakistan is fully aware of the designs of hostile agencies especially RAW against the country,” the CJCSC said. “Peace and tranquility in Afghanistan is key for security in the region,” he further asserted. In addition, General Hayat said these foreign intelligence agencies were operating from Afghanistan and other locations to foment unrest in Pakistan, especially in Balochistan. "Their designs [and] oblique actions to sabotage CPEC are also well known," he said, adding Pakistan was confronting adversaries who are involved in an "indirect sub-conventional warfare against us".

Earlier, in February this year, Army chief General Qamar Bajwa had categorically stated that terrorists from Afghanistan were carrying out attacks in Pakistan with impunity. “Most of the [terrorist] incidents in Pakistan are claimed by terrorist organisations with leadership hiding in Afghanistan,” Gen Qamar told Gen John Nicholson, the commander of the Resolute Support Mission, in a telephone conversation. The army chief told the US general that “such terrorist activities and inaction against them are testing our current policy of cross-border restraint”.

Former defence secretary Lt Gen (retd) Alam Khattak had said last year that RAW had established a special cell at its headquarters in New Delhi to sabotage CPEC and the plan was executed via Afghanistan. “RAW and Afghan NDS have launched joint secret operations against Pakistan by using three Indian consulates in Jalalabad, Kandahar and Mazar-e-Sharif,” he said at the time.

Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria has already declared: “India clearly stands exposed as a state sponsoring and financing terrorists. Confession of Kulbhushan Jadhav and now revelations by Ehsanullah Ehsan are irrefutable proof against India. We have raised the issue of Indian involvement and terror financing in Pakistan at the UN and with other countries.”

Meanwhile, there are reports that India is planning to send troops to Afghanistan, ostensibly to be used against the Pakistani interests. Earlier, India’s assistance to Afghanistan had been mostly in the civilian field but it has already provided four MI 25 attack helicopters to Afghanistan.

In 2013, Afghanistan gave a list of weapons and equipment to India. The-then UPA government did not supply that equipment. In 2014, it was suggested equipment of Russian origin and spares for such equipment could be sent to Afghanistan directly by Russia, with India paying for it. But this also did not materialise. It will certainly be a negative development for Pakistan, already facing the onslaught of RAW from the Western border, if India increases the military assistance to Afghanistan or sends troops to that country.