The reincarnation of terrorism

India’s futile and senseless efforts to weaken and subordinate Pakistan continue relentlessly. Its state-sponsored export of terrorism to Pakistan from Afghanistan and Iran persists. Its proteges, the various terrorist groups and their sleeper cells in Pakistan persevere as potent, latent threats.

India’s foremost strategic objective was to establish its hegemony in the region. Pakistan was to be reduced to the status of a vassal state. It was to be isolated diplomatically, browbeaten into submission militarily, destroyed economically and forced into unrelenting internal turmoil. To that end, the disruption, delay and/or destruction of the CPEC-BRI too, acquired critical urgency for India.

India has historically adopted an unremitting multidimensional approach to harm Pakistan. On the internal (and economy) front it succeeded in motivating some unscrupulous political elements into opposing the indispensable Kalabagh Dam. Had it been constructed at the planned time it would have massively boosted Pakistan’s economy and prosperity of the people. However, some of our so-called political stalwarts fell for the Indian guile and intrigue and opposed it on pseudo-nationalist grounds. It hurt Pakistan economically.

An even more dangerous ingress was made by India into Pakistan’s body-politic through its patronage of an avowed political party raised on linguistic basis, the Muhajir Qaumi Movement. Apart from India’s intelligence agency RAW’s support, it also had the tacit backing of some western intelligence agencies. Although its India-sponsored leadership was headquartered and based in London, yet it exercised a violent, cruel, harrowing, suffocating and unsparing control over Karachi, the economic centre of Pakistan. On cue from London (and on India’s instigation) life in Karachi would be instantly paralysed through its militant wing and its gangs of hitmen. It pitilessly exploited its excruciating hold, political and militant power to destabilise Karachi and ruin Pakistan’s economy. Karachi was maintained in a fitful state of perpetual panic and fear for years. This state of affairs continued till the party and its India-sponsored leadership was totally neutralised by decisive, synergetic and proactive operations by the Pakistan Army, Rangers, LEAs, intelligence agencies etc in Karachi.

In addition, India engaged the fringe and extremist elements of Pakistani society. Instead of joining the global War on Terror it mustered the so-called Islamic fundamentalists to its ranks to wage their concept of “jihad” against the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. India thus joined cause and ranks with the terrorists, the international movement of Islamic fundamentalists, by supporting their agents wreaking havoc in Pakistan. Their terrorist activities in Pakistan caused more than 70000 casualties and a loss of US$150-200 billion to the economy. Through its military operations, Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasaad, Pakistan compellingly drove groups like the Al-Qaeda, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Jammat-ur-Ahraar (JuA), ISIS, Lashkar-e-Islam (LI), the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) and others out of Pakistan, under threat of extermination. They found welcome refuge in Afghanistan with their patrons, the India-controlled RAW-NDS combine! Thus, ‘Terrorism Central’ relocated to Afghanistan to continue its nefarious activities against Pakistan from across the Pak Afghan border.

In its efforts to further destabilise Pakistan and divert its attention away from Kashmir and the LOC, India further activated Pakistan’s western front. It had ostensibly invested in Chabahar Port and other projects in Iran to create an alternative trade corridor to Afghanistan and the CARs bypassing Pakistan. However, the cover of Chabahar Port was exploited to establish its spy and terrorism networks against Pakistan. Kulbhushan Yadav, a serving Indian Navy Commander, was settled in Chabahar as the spymaster to organise terrorist activities in Balochistan to target CPEC-BRI and Karachi to threaten Pakistan’s economy. He was picked up by Pakistani intelligence on one of his forays into Balochistan. The Indians are also sponsoring dissident elements like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Balochistan Republican Army, (BRA) etc to carry out terrorist activities in Balochistan. Their operations are controlled from New Delhi. Of late, an ostensible Sindhudesh Army has also sprung up. Its appearance has all the tell-tale signs of India’s RAW.

However, the activities of Afghanistan-based, India-sponsored and RAW-NDS-controlled terrorist groups against Pakistan continue unabated. The TTP, JuA, LI, IS, BLA, BRA etc are the main groups involved. Of late they have targeted Chinese projects and interests in Pakistan to scare Chinese investment away. They regularly lay ambushes against Pakistan Army patrols along the Pakistan-Iran and Pakistan-Afghanistan borders and try to disrupt the fencing of these borders too. However, this does indicate that the terrorists are now largely restricted to the bad-lands of the border areas.

The UN’s 26th Report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning ISIS, Al-Qaeda and associated individuals and entities clearly states that these terrorist groups based in Afghanistan are carrying out terrorist activities in Pakistan. It should have also identified that this “terrorist onslaught” against Pakistan is actually state-sponsored terrorism by India. It should also have highlighted that the RAW-NDS combine is the main instigator, perpetrator, organiser, supporter, supplier, financier and controller of these terrorist activities into Pakistan. It should have also stressed that this Indian financing, sponsorship and export of terror into Pakistan needs to attract relevant international laws and covenants like the FATF and invoke pertinent sanctions. The western powers are overwhelmed by their economic interests in the Indian market and have thus forsaken all values and ethics of justice, fair play and morality. Ironically, their approach to the financing of terrorism is overtly duplicitous with deep strategic connotations. They find the freedom struggle in Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IOJ&K) as Pakistan sponsored terrorism but are oddly mum and even condescending of the Indian financed and sponsored terrorism emanating from Afghanistan and Iran into Pakistan! This duplicity is unfathomable. India should have been held responsible and accountable for its repugnant state sponsored terrorism in IOJ&K and against Pakistan.

Paradoxically, there is an inevitable convergence of interests between India and the US-led West in the total disruption/destruction of the CPEC-BRI. Could the readily-available ‘Terrorism Central’ then be reincarnated and mustered for this express purpose and to spread unmitigated terror anew in the region?