Shabbir Suleman
The province of Balochistan has been the target of the enemy states due to its strategic importance. The terrorist incidents in Balochistan have coincided with perpetual propaganda campaign by India and the West against the Federation of Pakistan and its security forces. It is part of the conspiracy aiming at inciting the Baloch people against the State-institutions. During the Musharraf regime, Pakistan had initiated construction of the Gwadar Port in 2002 with the Chinese assistance. Afterwards, sirens went off in the foreign capitals especially India and the US, who took it as a threat to their regional and global plans. After shifting of the ‘Great Game’ from the Central Asia to the South Asia, the Hostile-Intelligence Agencies (HIA) have started targeting Balochistan by supporting target-killings, suicide-attacks, hostage-takings, sectarian and ethnic violence, and kidnappings of the Chinese and Iranian nationals through the Baloch separatist elements.
Realizing the critical situation of Balochistan, the country’s political and military elite started focusing on the rapid development of the province in order to redress the Balochs’ grievances to castigate the conspiracy of the external enemies. For this matter, Pakistan had declared 2012 the ‘Year of Balochistan’. In the recent years, the Pakistan’s leadership has made strenuous efforts to develop the infrastructure in Balochistan, thus providing employment opportunities to the Baloch people. The Pak Army has not only established schools and colleges in Balochistan, but also set up technical and industrial units in the province. Moreover, the military has been protecting various mineral sites in the far-flung areas. It is equally important to know that there is no military operation going on in Balochistan, as negatively propagated by the external elements. However, few subversive events are taking place by the minority separatist elements so as to create instability in the province. It is notable that the Law-Enforcement Agencies (LEA) of Pakistan have successfully broken backbone of the foreign-backed terrorists through successful military operations such as ‘Zarb-e-Azb’ and ‘Radd-ul-Fasaad’.
Now, India, Afghanistan and the US have started acts of sabotage to damage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project which is part of the China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative. Washington and New Delhi have already opposed this project. It is mentionable that foiled terrorist attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi was part of the same scheme. The separatist group Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility of the terror attempt on the Chinese consulate through a tweet. The attack was funded by the India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and the Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS). Notably, India is using the Afghan soil to destabilize Balochistan in order to slow down the CPEC’s growth. In this respect, propaganda of the external enemies followed by the protests in the US and some European countries such as the UK and Switzerland by the Baloch Sub-Nationalists (BSN) against the Pakistan’s integrity are part of the same campaign to destabilize the country. The anti-Pakistan elements have launched a false propaganda campaign with help of the Baloch separatists taking refuge in the Western countries by spreading disinformation in order to misguide the Baloch people. The agents of the HIAs are well-penetrated in various non-governmental organizations (NGO) and the Human Rights’ (HR) organizations which are being used for malicious propaganda against the Pakistan’s security forces.
It is of particular attention that the patriotic Baloch people have realized the foreign plot against the Pakistan’s integrity. They acknowledge the Pak Army’s immense contributions in the socio-economic development of Balochistan. The military’s positive steps are enhancing their confidence, thus reducing their dependence on the feudal lords (Sardars). The Balochs know that the Sardars who have been fighting for maintaining their status, prestige and influence, do not want to give up the old system of feudalism. The feudal utilize the anti-Pakistani and anti-Army narrative with assistance of India, Afghanistan and the US. Retrospectively, the loyal Balochs are well-aware of the fact that they would be the real beneficiary of the CPEC project. The CPEC project and the Gwadar Port along with network of highways would link the province with rest of the regions. The Gwadar Port when becomes fully operational, would also help in connecting the landlocked Central Asian states with rest of the world.
The developmental works will uplift the impoverished Baloch people by providing them with employment opportunities along with redressing their grievances. The resulting prosperity in Balochistan would damp the separatist sentiments of the people. It is worth-mentioning that many insurgents have surrendered their arms after the government announced general pardon and protection to the militants as part of the reconciliation process. The Baloch people are loyal to Pakistan and helping in thwarting the enemy’s nefarious designs against the Pakistan’s integrity.
