A Greek poet, Hesiod, famously said, “A bad neighbour is a misfortune, as much as a good one is a great blessing”. The quote resonates quite well with Pakistan whose eastern and northwestern neighbours, namely India and Afghanistan, continue to be a persistent nuisance for it. From supporting Mukti Bahini in East Pakistan to funding Baloch separatist groups and TTP, New Delhi has left no stone unturned to cause anarchy in Pakistan and sabotage its peace and progress. Cognizant of its inability to defeat Pakistan in a traditional battlezone, India shifted to clandestine tactics; pumping in money to support terror activities, peddling disinformation against Pakistan on social media and different international forums. The efforts have gained significant impetus since 2014 – after its Prime Minister, Narendar Modi, assumed office.
China’s growing influence in the region is seen as a serious obstacle to India’s hegemonic aspirations, which makes India wary of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
A plethora of evidence exists that reveals India’s involvement in nefarious activities against Pakistan. For instance, the arrest of an Indian spy and a serving naval commander, Kulbhushan Jadhav from a district in Balochistan in 2016. Kulbhushan Jadhav confessed to RAW’s involvement in orchestrating several terrorist attacks in Pakistan. Besides this, India has also been pumping money to mobilise proxy groups and pro-separatist movements in Pakistan. According to reports, the Indian spy agency has strong ties with self-exiled and anti-Pakistan Baloch leaders like Brahamdagh Bugti, Javed Mengal, and Harbiyar Marri. It recurrently amplifies its propaganda through its news channels. Many BLF and BRA leaders like Dr Allah Nazar, Khalil Chairman, Muqaddam Marri, Brahamdagh Bugti etc have also visited India under fake identities to either receive medical treatment or asylum.
Besides the Baloch-separatist groups, RAW’s collaboration with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan in terms of financial and technical support is reflected in TTP’s operational and propaganda tactics that have experienced a shift in recent years. As per the reports, New Delhi injected $820,000 to reassemble the TTP splinter groups and supply them with weaponry. RAW has also managed to form alliances between TTP, BLA and other terror outfits as substantiated by a UN report published in 2025 that reveals the growing nexus between TTP, BLA and the Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K).
All of this stems from New Delhi’s delusional mindset that clings hard to the idea of India possessing the right and capacity to play the role of a hegemon in South Asia. However, China’s growing influence in the region is seen as a serious obstacle in the way of India’s hegemonic aspirations which makes India wary of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Moreover, the all-weather friendship between Pakistan and China is also a thorn in New Delhi’s side. Hence, by mobilising violent groups in Balochistan which is the pinnacle of CPEC- a flagship project of BRI- and promoting the fabricated narrative of Balochistan’s resources being exploited through CPEC, India is trying to hit two birds with one stone; create a rift between China and Pakistan and counter China’s growing influence in the region. According to intelligence sources, a covert operations cell was established by RAW in 2015 under the direct supervision of the Indian PM’s office. The cell received an initial funding of $500 million to sabotage CPEC and has been involved in orchestrating terrorist activities, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Pakistan has time and again voiced its concerns, with evidence, over India’s involvement in terrorist activities. However, the Western world has maintained a deafening silence over the issue. Nevertheless, Pakistan needs to keep highlighting the issue on relevant international forums consistently and strongly. Besides this, the genuine grievances of the people of Balochistan also need to be addressed as this is the only way to bridge the mistrust created between the state and the Baloch populace. Once the flames of mistrust are extinguished, uprooting the enemy will be as effortless as sweeping away the ashes.
The writer is a freelance columnist.