Thinking beyond Pakistan; The only sustainable solution to violence and extremism in the region.

 

Finally; the much awaited decision has been announced, before the fragile civilian government of Pakistan could do so, His Highness The chief of army staff, General Ishfaq Pervaiz Kiyani granted his kind permission.  Rawalpindi (all right lets add Islamabad too) and NATO have both called the opening of supply routes a positive development, but it’s worth mentioning that ISI used this period of ban on NATO supplies for strengthening its relationship with its implementing partners or assets and hence created the “Defense of Pakistan”, which is nothing more than an ISI associated group of militants, politicians and right wingers.

This includes militants who are involved in extremist activities beyond Pakistan’s borders, those who have been killing moderate Baloch political activists and students, and the powerful groups that have been torching NATO supply vehicles, under complete protection of ISI field staff.

With international forces so close to Balochistan, the homeland of Baloch nation, that has grabbed the attention human rights organization due to human rights violations of worst kind by Pakistan’s military secret services and frontier constabulary (FC), the hope was that Baloch and international forces would unite against Pakistan sponsored talibanization of  the region. After all they were both fighting the same enemy, and Baloch of all people in that region have most secular and non-militant dream for their future State.

But Alas; for NATO field commanders the only quick solution was to bribe Pakistan into somehow taking action against the very forces it had created and relied upon for its so called strategic depth. Here is the worst part, which one would even not expect in a cheap novel, during General Musharraf’s era when Pakistan army was getting billions of dollars from western governments to combat terrorism; it was in fact hiding OBL in one of its military towns. At the same time terrorists with documented links in Pakistan attacked and killed dozens of innocent civilians in Mumbai; and of course the excess funding encouraged Pakistan’s army to intensify its ongoing slow genocide of Baloch people; thus during  his bombastic speech on television Pakistan’s chief of  army staff boasted about his military’s power, equipment and resources and issued a warning to Baloch people that either you bow your head to occupying Pakistan’s army or you will be exterminated. His were not the empty words Pakistan’s army has acted upon its threat and Baloch leaders, political, journalist, lawyers, doctors, engineers, students, writers have seen been wiped out at an alarming rate.

One would think that having witnessed the above situation, NATO commanders and western decision makers would have realized that Pakistan has not, and will never support the moderate and democratic forces in the region; consequently shifting their Pakistan centric anti-terrorism policy towards a community based resistant movement that would resist all of ISI’s sinister designs in the region. Baloch by default would have been an ideal candidate for such a community based partnership with international forces that did not happen; the focus remains on appeasing an ever arrogant Pakistan army through funding, frequent dignitary visits and empty threats. It is obvious that the result of such a strategy would be far from satisfactory!

Chicago Summit, Afghanistan exit strategy and Pakistan army

Amidst well-coordinated bold terrorist attacks, a growing indication of strong logistical and planning support from places beyond Afghanistan’s boundaries, and early morning Presidential press conferences, both sides in Afghanistan are claiming a victory. What is certain is that international force will start withdrawing from Afghanistan sooner than later. It therefore, should not be surprising if Pakistan’s army is busy in damage control with regard to its relationships with Taliban.  Traditionally Pakistan and Iran have been on the same page when it came to suppressing Baloch nation, whose land is divided between the two countries, but in Afghanistan they have had their differences on the choice of partners. But during the recent attacks on NATO supply line by the so called non state actors or ISI’s implementing partners and subsequent block on NATO supplies by Pakistan’s Army, the Iranian President rushed to Pakistan and following two issues were at the forefront of the agenda,

·         Coordinated military action against Baloch nationalist and Jundullah on Pakistan and Iranian occupied part of Baloch homeland respectively, to facilitate development of gas pipeline between two countries.  

·         Pushing their respective militant groups in Afghanistan and agreeing on a power sharing mechanism after withdrawal of international forces.

As was expected Pakistan’s military has decided to reopen NATO supply line but not without additional conditions. The GHQ in Pakistan is one of the best pundits of American foreign policy and internal politics simply because it’s the American tax payers money that for generations supported the lavish life style of Pakistan’s army generals from Ayub Khan to General Kiyani, off course the ISI chiefs including the mastermind behind Haqqni network, Hameed Gul, have also been amongst top beneficiaries. Therefore Pakistan army was not expected to let go of such an important source of funding and the fact of the matter is that Pakistan’s army prefers to play the middle man. Their longstanding relationship with pentagon and west has convinced them that they can, and always have, played on both sides.

Another important issue that made Pakistan’s generals (parliaments committees are a joke) to reopen the supply line was growing international and especially US concern on human rights violations in Balochistan. Again Pakistan’s army generals realize that their brutalities against Baloch civilians during President Musharraf’s era were completely brushed under the carpet by west because of their halfhearted and dual role in war against religious militants in the region hence they have decided to travel the same path so that the genocide of Baloch nation could go on without any reaction from western democracies. Besides Pakistan’s regular army and FC the ISI sponsored group “Defense of Pakistan” has also announced Jihad against Baloch civilians and political activists. One of the major organizations in Defense of Pakistan is Jammat u Dawa that has already decided a comprehensive multifactorial “Balochistan plan” which comprises of attacking Baloch nationalists, student activists, journalists and freedom fighters on one end and establishing free medical treatment camps on the other. It must be noted that Pakistan’s military and its allied religious militant groups do not allow local and international neutral NGOs to operate in Balochistan but Jammat u Dawa, despite its militant wing and announcement of war against Baloch, has been granted access by Pakistan’s secret agencies. 

 Meanwhile, Baloch are being hunted by Pakistan’s military and paramilitary forces in their own homeland as well as Baloch diaspora overseas is threatened, intimidated and constantly ridiculed by Pakistan’s consulates throughout the west. Likewise pro-Pakistan groups in the west are busy stepping up their hate campaign against small number of Baloch diaspora in the west. Baloch under Pakistan’s occupation are worried about their well-being and are economically crippled. It’s becoming exceptionally hard for Baloch nation to feed their children. Internationally Baloch diaspora are the least funded and supported group of all stateless people in the world. Among stateless people in the western cities such as Kurds, Tamils, Palestinians, Kashmiris, Baloch diaspora has the lowest per capita income. It is ironic that Pakistan continues its forcible occupation of Baloch homeland and genocide of Baloch nation and yet it claims billions of dollars from international community to give them access to routes that travel entirely through Baloch homeland to southern Afghanistan. In Pakistan thousands of Baloch civilians have been targeted by military operations and at least 300 students, activists, and nationalist leaders have been killed in custody by Pakistan’s secret agencies. Internationally Baloch do not have a single office in the entire North America a region that spends billions of dollars of Pakistan’s army that is the brutal killer of Baloch civilians.

Nuclear armed Pakistan army is far more dangerous than any other militant organization in the world especially when many of its high level officers have been arrested in the past few years trying to mastermind a religious coup within military. Empowerment of Baloch nation is essential to resist Pakistan’s sinister designs for the region and to establish a neutral, liberal and stable state along the borders of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Western leaders and Governments have not supported this idea thus far, but it must be kept in mind that with the fall of liberal, peace loving Baloch nation in the region Afghanistan will regrow into a ghost that it once was and will haunt world peace for centuries.

China’s growing interest in Afghanistan and its implications for the region.

The Chinese government has kept its distance from international community when it comes to cooperation in Afghanistan but that does not mean it’s not involved in Afghan situation especially from Pakistan’s perspective. Pakistan’s military intelligence through its half hearted cooperation with international community has been able to continue receiving aid from civilized world but on the other hand its Afghanistan control cell at Quetta is a buzzing with activity now a days. The ISI is conducting massive contractor level negotiations with what it calls the assets or “good Taliban’s” these are based on post international community withdrawal situation in Afghanistan.


During post 9/11 era china could not move into Afghanistan but it has increased its presence in Balochistan, the homeland of Baloch nation which is currently occupied by Pakistan and accounts for 45% land of Pakistan. Balochistan is currently the focus of China as it intensifies its search on global energy resources for future use. Balochistan has huge natural gas and oil resources .What makes it more attractive for China is the presence of Baloch sea port “Gwarder” where China has invested heavily.

Pakistan is looking to create a pre 9/11 type of situation in Afghanistan where its paramilitary forces along with Taliban controlled the country and Pakistan military ruled Kabul. With Chinese presence in Gawader Pakistan is looking to have access to central Asian countries and have Talibans in Afghanistan as its contractors to fight Indian and Baloch presence in Afghanistan and even fight in Kashmir. The Pakistan’s inter services intelligence strongly believes on using Talibans and other militant organizations against India as its only reliable means of continuous war against India, something Pakistan army refers to as “strategic depth”.

The Baloch national struggle for independence has been a major obstacle to Chinese presence in Balochistan as Baloch perceive ChinaPak collaboration in their homeland as yet another tool for genocide of Baloch nation. Baloch groups have attacked many Chinese personnel in Balochistan resulting in many deaths. Pakistan army has been prompt in intensifying its war against Baloch nation to revenge the death of Chinese intruders in Balochistan. As a result Baloch cities have been completely destroyed, civilians killed, leaders attacked and killed, writers, teachers, students, political activists kidnapped tortured and killed.

It’s a critical moment in Baloch nations struggle for independence as Pakistan is using its entire military muscle to crush Baloch demand for freedom and sovereignty. Baloch nation is fighting as best as it could but eventually Pakistan and China will overcome this resistance if international community continues to support Pakistan army. Such an outcome will have grave repercussions for international community in Afghanistan and Iraq because Pakistan will turn Afghanistan into a heaven for terrorists again. The terrorist organization involved in Mumbai attack could be seen as a test case its activities were banned in Pakistan on international community’s pressure but it’s completely functional and working in full capacity and there are confirmed reports that this particular organization has established another huge training camp in Pakistan controlled Kashmir. There should be no doubt that once Pakistan and China over come Baloch resistance in Balochistan and international forces are withdrawn from Afghanistan, Talibans and militants will rule that region once again.

Baloch nation is looking towards international community to support its right to exist and stop the grave human rights violations by Pakistani army. Baloch political leadership led by Nawab Khair Baksh Marri, Nawab Brahamdagh Bugti, Mir Harbiyar have been willing to discuss an international mediation on independence of Baloch nation. A test case of cooperation by Baloch leadership, was the release of US citizen John Solecki who was working in United Nations and was abducted by a Baloch group on the request of United Nations Nawab Khair Baksh Marri, Nawab Brahamdagh Bugti, Mir Harbiyar Marri made several appeals to kidnapers asking them not to hurt an international civil servant working in Balochistan. Mr. Solecki was finally released by kidnappers without any harm.

But it seems that international community does not have a coherent plan for Afghanistan and their strategy consists of handing over the situation to Pakistan military forces and withdrawing at the earliest. This makes it understandable why international community is not concerned about human rights violations conducted by Pakistan army in Baloch territory. But Baloch nation at present is fighting for such rights as freedom, dignity , equality , freedom of expression, non discrimination and liberation of Balochistan from pakistan is the only possible mean for Baloch nation to achieve their basic human rights.