close
Friday March 29, 2024

Indian state-sponsored terrorism in Balochistan

By Waqar Ahmed
November 30, 2020

India has been the main sponsor of terrorism in Pakistan over the decades. It were the Indian terrorists who were caught during the 1980s and 1990s planting bombs all over Pakistan. Thousands of people were killed or maimed in such explosions, which especially targeted the Punjab province.

With the advent of the new century, India collaborated with proxies in another neighbouring country and renewed its deadly attacks on Pakistan. This time again the whole country was targeted and bombs planted in markets, religious places, schools, shrines and government offices. Terrorism got a new dimension with suicide attacks, which killed tens of thousands. In fact, the TTP was financed, sponsored and run by the Indian government with its proxies firmly established in Afghanistan and enjoying support from other quarters also.

The Indian consulates were funding other sub-nationalists groups also, in particular those which worked and tried and destablise Balochistan. One such organistaion that is carrying out terrorist attacks in the province is the Balochistan Liberation Army, designated as a terrorist organisation by Pakistan, the United Kingdom and the United States. It is responsible for attacking numerous civilians and armed forces personnel.

Another terrorist organization BRAS was launched in November 2018, comprising three Baloch sub-nationalist groups, the BLF, the Baloch Republican Guards (BRG), and a splinter faction of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).

There is increased development in the region due to the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is changing the fate of the Baloch. This has led to greater Indian sponsorship of terrorism in the region. New Delhi is now openly challenging and opposing the CPEC and working against the Chinese-Pakistani interests.

On the other hand, Pakistan’s southwestern neighbor Iran has shown interest in the CPEC. In a joint statement in April 2019 between Prime Minister Imran Khan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, the two countries pledged to support regional connectivity and work towards this goal despite Indian opposition.

Meanwhile, India has been trying to convince the Baloch that the biggest external threat comes from China and in this regard the CPEC projects and Chinese interests in Pakistan have been attacked on India’s behalf over the years.

In 2016, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi went to the extent of naming Balochistan in his speech, making clear his evil intentions. It should be noted that former Indian Army chief General Vijay Kumar Singh had admitted in 2013 that India sponsored bomb blasts in Pakistan and doled out money to the separatist elements in Balochistan. He had revealed this in an inquiry report which shed light on activities of an army unit. The activities were carried out by the Tactical Support Division (TSD), an Indian army unit raised after Mumbai attacks on the directives of Defence Minister and NSA Shev Shankar Menon in order to “perform a particular task to secure borders and internal situation.”

According to the dossier presented to UNSG members by Pakistan recently, the Indian campaign against Pakistan includes sponsorship of Baloch insurgents inter alia to disrupt the China Pakistan Economic Corridor; merging TTP splinter groups and creating a coalition between the TTP and the Baloch; providing weapons, ammunition and IEDs; raising a special force of 700 to sabotage CPEC; training anti-Pakistan terrorists in camps in Afghanistan and India — 66 such training camps have been identified in Afghanistan and 21 in India among other activities. It is clear that India’s terrorist and subversion campaigns are being directed from the highest levels of the Indian leadership.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced a mega development project for south Balochistan areas featuring construction of 1,100 kilometre roads, skill training to 35,000 youth and expansion of power and gas supply networks. During his visit to Turbat, Balochistan, the prime minister also inaugurated Daar-ul-Ehsaas facility for the orphaned and other poor children to provide them free shelter, food and education and Waseela-e-Taleem programme, to help enroll additional 83,000 children in schools and facilitate over 640,000 children through accelerated and distance learning programmes. He performed the ground-breaking of various development projects, including extension of Turbat airport, 200-bed Makran Medical Teaching Hospital, University of Turbat and 146 kilometre Hoshab-Awaran section of M-8 Motorway. The package comprises construction of 210 basic health units and improved nutrition for 7,000 households under Ehsaas Nashonuma programme. Establishment of six border markets, three dates processing units and an olive extraction unit are also part of the development package.

Under the plan, 35,000 youth will be imparted skill training to enable them earn as freelancer besides extending internet facility to another 0.5 million people. Moreover, 16 dams will be constructed and 0.15 million acres land will be cultivated. He also announced to introduce 4G Internet services and Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme in Balochistan.

The prime minister said the current volume of Chinese trade is around $2,000 bn and Pakistan, especially Balochistan, can benefit from this.