Indian campaigning on Balochistan continues

As the world now knows, the Indian government’s support for Baloch sub-nationalists has been on the rise. That New Delhi is openly supporting the Separate Balochistan movement by spreading anti Pakistan propaganda throughout the world is very much evident. New Delhi is using newly-created forums like the Hind-Baloch Forum to gain support of anti-Pakistan elements, create unrest in the Balochistan province and project the issue at the international level to create impediments for CPEC projects. As an effort to move the Balochistan issue centre-stage, Baloch separatist leaders mostly visit New Delhi and Kabul where they are hosted and taken care of.

New Delhi opposes infrastructure development and standard of living in Balochistan to improve because this would then solve its local problems and make it more of an integrated and stable part of Pakistan. Modi’s Independence Day speech and the cascade of hyper-nationalist commentary followed by frequent stage managed incidents involving Pakistan have shown that the Hybrid War against Pakistan was continuing. The malicious and unprecedented anti-CPEC campaign unleashed by India with the aim to scuttle the project and deprive Pakistan of its benefits, nevertheless, is not delivering.

In the latest development, India inaugurated the office of Free Baluchistan in New Delhi on June 23, 2018. A ceremony was held to inaugurate the office, which was attended by around 50 plus Indians. The inauguration of the office materialized after meeting of BJP’s ex-MLA, Vijay Jolly, with a delegation of Free Baluchistan Movement (FBN) at London during May 2018. The Free Balochistan Movement (FBM) activists discussed Pakistan’s alleged interference in Kashmir/ impact of CPEC on the region and Indian delegation agreed to accelerate their support.

Reports in the Indian media stated that Indian intelligence will arrange seminars at the office and foreign journalists/ diplomats will be invited to highlight the so-called “atrocities of Pakistan in Balochistan”. Reportedly, the office will be run by Dr. Naila Baloch.

Earlier, the Indian government had established the Hind-Baloch Forum in India with Pawan Sinha the President of the forum while Swami Jitendranad Sarswati its General Secretary. On June 20, 2017, the forum organised its first event, a seminar titled “How Indian can play a role in the freedom struggle of Balochistan” at Hotel Howard Plaza, Fatehabad Road, Agra. Speakers on the occasion included Maj Gen (retd) G 0 Balohi, ex RAW director Col RSN Singh, Pushpendra Kulshrestha, bureau chief of a local TV channel, and Govind Sharma, Gen Secretary, Ganga Mahasabha. The forum is now planning more such activities.

Meanwhile, China has dismissed Indian concerns over its Belt and Road initiative, saying the mega venture has broad international support and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. Reacting to India’s reservations over the CPEC, a flagship project of China’s prestigious One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative, the Chinese foreign ministry has stated over 100 countries and organisations were already involved in the venture. “The Belt and Road initiative was proposed in 2013, and four years on, over 100 countries around the world and international organisations have supported and got involved in this initiative,” the foreign ministry has said.