Waqas ur Rehman
Balochistan is very important from strategic point of view. It has Makran coastline in the south, which connects it with Iran in the southwest and Afghanistan in the northwest. It has a deep seaport at Gwadar which lies at the opening of Strait of Hormuz. It also has abundance of natural gas, oil, gold, coal, copper and other mineral reserves. Few foreign elements have been interfering in internal situation of Balochistan for their own motives. Foreign powers get attracted towards Balochistan because of its wealth and geographic location. Similarly, Balochistan comes under the focus of foreign powers due the CPEC project. Balochistan will act as a regional-connector through this CPEC project. It will connect the trade coming from China and CARs with the GCC countries and the Middle East through Gwadar port.Our adversaries led by India and Afghanistan have been creating disturbances in Balochistan for achieving their motives. India has focused on its economic development since 1990s, and encouraged foreign investment in the country. Now India has become an important member of the BRICS. Pakistan also wants healthy economic activity and for that, it has been working with China on the CPEC project. Unfortunately, India is making hurdles in the development of the CPEC, thus hindering economic activity in the region. Indian government also has been instigating Afghanistan for deteriorating law and order situation in Balochistan. The US is worried about the strengthening relations between China and Pakistan. This project will quantify China’s economy, which will act as a catalyst for surpassing the US economy. Thus, the US has been trying to counter China with the help of India. Many analysts are of the view that the US has taken control of the resources of the Middle East and Afghanistan, and now it has diverted its attention towards resource-rich Balochistan. The US is following double-standards in its policies. On one hand, the US demands Pakistan to take strict action against the terrorists, but on the other hand, it accuses Pakistan of human rights violations. Pak Army has been fighting war on terror for restoring peace, but its efforts are not being fully recognized by the US. Similarly, India has been giving air to the terrorist activities in Balochistan. Recently, Indian RAW agent Kulbhushan Jhadav was abducted from Balochistan. Various terrorist incidents in Balochistan include attacks on gas pipelines, electric grid stations, railway lines, security check posts, military convoys, passenger trains and buses. The US, India and Afghanistan are following the policy of dividing Pakistani society by encouraging sectarianism in Balochistan. These countries also exert pressure on Pakistan through human rights activists, NGOs and foreign / local media. Another ground for foreign interference in Balochistan is being provided by local Sardars. These Sardars enjoy immense power in their tribes. They use to sit in Provincial and National parliaments, and don’t work for the development of their own people. They always blame Pakistani government for their miseries and underdevelopment. The Federal government has made several reforms in order to remove their grievances such as enhanced share in federal budget, provincial autonomy and control over provincial natural resources. Instead of appreciating the government efforts, those Sardars started blaming the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) for target killings of Baloch people, missing persons, and mutilated bodies. As a matter of fact, it is Baloch Sardars who are involved in human rights atrocities to remain in power. They invite foreign players to indulge in internal affairs of Balochistan in order to retain their Sardari system. It should be noted that Baloch people are not the only one living in Balochistan; instead Pashtuns, Hazaras and Brahvis are also living here. Majority of Baloch people are patriotic and loyal to Pakistan. The main problem for the US and India is that Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) have not more than 3500 fighters altogether, which are insufficient to achieve their nefarious motives. Few Baloch separatist leaders are demanding independence; however, desires of few individuals cannot represent the public choice. Pakistan do not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, and expect the same in reciprocity. A new dirty game of geo-politics staged by India is going on in full swing in Balochistan. The root cause of violence in Balochistan is not poverty or lack of development, but the covert activities of foreign intelligence agencies. Internal issues might act as catalysts to inflame the situation, but the root cause is the foreign interference, which needs to be addressed properly by strengthening our security forces. Conspiracies are being hatched to weaken Pakistan politically and economically as it occupies strategic position in the region. The government should formulate a consensus-based National policy to tackle future challenges.
