Daily Times

Frequent terrorist attacks in Balochistan need to be deliberately deciphered in true context of prevailing complex regional scenario. Seven FC soldiers were martyred in a fire raid in Harnai area on 26 December. Eight days after this incident, terrorists brutally murdered eleven coal miners in Machh. It is no coincidence that all victim miners belonged to Shia Hazara community which already has a tragic past on account of target killings and terrorism. As the responsibility of miners’ killings was claimed by Daesh, it became evident that terrorists intended to fuel the sectarian fire. It is worth noting that an attack on border post in Mohmand from Afghan territory also resulted in martyrdom of a Pak soldier on 6 January. Some intriguing points need to be carefully analyzed prior to adopting requisite remedial measures. This seems more than evident that extra-ordinary thrust is being directed towards Balochistan by the hardcore terrorist outfits. Two pronged strategy of these terrorist groups revolve around contentious ethnic and sectarian slogans. These terrorist groups involved in heinous crimes are operating in remote areas of Balochistan on the behest of Indian agencies. Long unguarded border with Afghanistan and an inefficient policing system are the two major weaknesses being exploited frequently by the foreign sponsored miscreants. There can be no second opinion on this conclusion that Balochistan is primarily in Indian cross-hairs due to the CPEC. Old tested weapons of ethnic hatred and sectarian violence are being applied with full force to inflict a wider security crisis on Pakistan. Balochistan is being projected as a hub of insurgency, militancy, ethnic discord and sectarian violence by all those players who believe in containment of China in entire region. Few sensitive developments on regional chessboard are too obvious to ignore. Quad forum was activated by US with a clear anti-China focus in past few months. US secretary of state Mike Pompeo uttered clearly in Tokyo that Quad forum would strive to counter and contain the Chinese ingress in the region. Subsequently, joint naval exercises of Quad countries hosted by India further confirmed the contours of a larger conflict shaping up among global players. India has many understandable reasons to be in front row of US led anti-China campaign. Months long military stand-off at LAC could be easily resolved at initial stages following the past precedence but a meaningful escalation was preferred over settlement by New Delhi.  Since reservations on CPEC and BRI were never kept hidden by India therefore increasing aggression at LoC, rising frequency of terrorism in Balochistan and attacks by hardcore terrorist groups from Afghan soil pose extra-ordinary challenges to Pakistan. Despite many good signs, Afghan peace process has not yet accelerated towards desired destination. Meaningful surge in violence during past six months has largely compromised the spirit of Taliban-US peace deal signed in last February. While striving hard for restoration of Afghan peace, Pakistan is facing multi-dimensional security problems having deep roots across the Durand line. Certain elements in Kabul government are in habit of unnecessarily pointing fingers on Pakistan for their self-created crises.

A joint Pak-Afghan counter strategy seems only  viable option against the hardcore terrorist outfits and Indian backed proxies presently working freely from Afghan soil.

An introspection is much needed in Kabul to evaluate the peace balance sheet in true relevance to regional security matrix. Why Kabul government has failed in eliminating the terrorist groups involved in high profile attacks in Pakistan? Though bi-lateral trade should be enhanced but Illegal border crossing from Afghanistan needs to be strictly curbed. Apparently, heart wrenching incident of coal miners’ killing in Machh has significant links with unrest in Afghanistan. Reportedly, eight out of eleven killed miners are Afghan nationals who used to earn livelihood through hard labor in coal mines. Daesh, which claimed the responsibility of Machh killings, is vigorously active in Afghanistan where it launched some gruesome terrorist attacks during past few months. Unfortunately, in Pakistan attention was diverted to protest sit-in and unexpected delay in PM’s symbolic condolence visit to mourning Hazaras. Much complex dimensions of rising terrorism in Balochistan are yet to be evaluated. Government should be quick in drawing pertinent lessons from recent situation. Delay in symbolic condolence visit and undesired sectarian shading unwittingly served the purpose of enemies. Few days back, entire Indian media attempted to malign Pakistan by creating hype on mysterious death of a self-exiled female Baloch activist in Canada. Her name was also blinking in EU Disinfo Lab report among those characters who were part of Indian fake news network poised against Pakistan. Terrorism, propaganda campaigns, ethnic violence and sectarian division are all aimed to destabilize the Pakistan. Decision making quarters should lay deeper focus on    foreign hands involved in spoiling the internal affairs. How do Afghan nationals manage to live illegally on Pak soil? Why do certain organizations take control of protest after such heart wrenching terrorist attacks and add sectarian colors to collective tragedies? It must be understood that terrorism in Pakistan has been significantly reduced but its cross-border roots still exist. There should not be any discrimination or differentiation among the victims of terrorism on the basis of ethnicity, sect and religion. Terrorist actually target Pakistan once they kill Hazara coal miners in Machh, FC personnel in Harnai and   army soldiers at LoC as well as Afghan border. Routine blame game and verbosity must be avoided by political leadership at the occasions of collective mourning. Major onus of keeping the matters smooth and calm lies on the shoulders of ruling regime. Recent terrorism wave in Pakistan and Afghanistan must not be misinterpreted by viewing it with a smaller lens. A joint Pak-Afghan counter strategy seems only  viable option against the hardcore terrorist outfits and Indian backed proxies presently working freely from Afghan soil.

Writer is a freelance and can be reached at sikandarnoorani@yahoo.com