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!

Is Pakistan Military getting ready for yet another take over?

Since OBL's death in a military town of Pakistan, army has literally taken over the country’s foreign office not that it was ever under complete civilian control but usually during civilian times army does not order / manage day to day activities of foreign office. But Pakistan’s general are in aggressive mood, the head of the Government was dispatched to China immediately to make sure China keeps supporting Pakistan military , as it always has.

Coincidently, the Taliban attacks in Southern Afghanistan have been on the rise and also the brutalities of Pakistan’s forces (Frontier Constabulary and secret agencies) have increased in Balochistan. The number of mutilated dead bodies found along road sides in Balochistan has increased, these are the bodies of Baloch activists, students, lawyers, engineers, doctors, professors and civilians who are abducted (forced disappearances) , tortured and killed by Pakistan’s secret agencies and forces.

Taliban are the precious assets of Pakistan’s inter-services intelligence agency and hence their activities reflect the temperature in control rooms of GHQ. Baloch have long been labeled and marketed by Pro-Taliban media in Pakistan as agents of India and Jews and therefore whenever army needs a boost in morale they launch a massive operation in Balochistan to support their ongoing systemic genocide of Baloch nation.

It seems clear that army has decided to intensify its genocide of Baloch nation; large deployments of Frontier Constabulary in Balochistan, a few hundred miles from Afghan border also make it easier for Pakistan’s Frontier Constabulary (Pashtu speaking) to cross the border and help their Taliban brethren. Something that Pakistan’s forces have been doing in the past.


Baloch are resisting the assault of Pakistan’s forces as much as they can but a civilian population without outside support cannot fight an army that has no regard for human rights. The civilized world is still trying to “work with Pakistan military” but it seems clear that very soon the military in Pakistan will be taking over again.
Generals in Pakistan army consider civilian government too incompetent to defend them and hence they want to be on the negotiation table alone with no bloody civilians around. Working with army during Zia and Musharraf regimes did not solve the problem of Pakistan supported terrorism and wooing Kiyani and Pasha would not be any different.

Afghanistan …is the job really done?

(Watch this video before you read)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_aqpta4H40


After years of presence the international commanders are working on putting together an exit strategy. The troops are expected to start their journey back home any time during fall 2011. It’s a critical moment for peace, stability, and future of not only Afghanistan but the entire region.
Leaving Afghanistan in the past after collapse of USSR may have been a contributing factor that turned Afghanistan into safe haven for terrorists but that’s not the root cause. It was the ambitious thinking (to rule Afghanistan through Taliban and subdue India by Jihadists) on part of Pakistan army and ISI that lead to catastrophic events including 9/11.
Despite the complex power point presentations that Pentagon staff is famous for, the conceptual frame work for military endeavors in Afghanistan has always been straight forward that is to give Pakistani Generals the money they wanted and hope they do the best. This time around the only difference is the actual presence of American forces in Afghanistan and now they will start pulling out soon.
This simple approach could have proved beneficial if, Pakistan army generals were willing to do their part honestly something which they are being paid for. It’s an open secret now that ISI and Pakistan military’s future plans for Afghanistan are drastically different from what Pentagon and NATO plans.

A more difficult but logical approach to Afghan situation would have included taking the nations that are fighting against Talibanization in the region into confidence. For instance Baloch nation gained their freedom from British rule before Pakistan but their homeland has been occupied by Pakistan since its creation. Iran also occupies a large part of Baloch territory and Taliban minded forces of both Iran and Pakistan are busy killing liberal, peace loving and democratic Baloch people in their own homeland.

The fact of the matter is that Baloch nation is fighting against two most brutal armies in the world (Pakistani army and Iranian army) and at the same time the Taliban militants of Pakistan army are also targeting liberal Baloch nationalists. It’s the most systematic genocide of any nation going on in recent times. The international community instead of supporting Baloch struggle for independence from Pakistan and Iran is supporting Pakistan army. The result of such a policy towards Pakistan would only strengthen Taliban activities in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the region.

The only practical exit strategy from Afghanistan would be building relationships with people and nations that are fighting against Taliban’s and Pakistan army. Baloch nation is fighting against Talibanization in Balochstan and moral support for Baloch cause from international community could add to stability of the region in the future.

Afghanistan…. History repeating itself! Independent Baloch state the last hope for success of civilized world in the region.

Way back in soviet era when USSR was finally defeated and Russian forces retreated to Moscow, The policy makers in Pentagon and White house decided it’s all clear. Pakistan army had an open field in Afghanistan “The ISI” ( run by a group of religious hawks) soon initiated the implementation of its own game plan in the war torn country.

The ISI operations in charge in Afghanistan enjoyed the status of a colonial Viceroy, being the sole custodian of nuclear technology (and everything else too practically) in Pakistan, The ISI knew exactly how close they are to “Atom bomb”. They laid a plan to organize the religious Jihadi groups as they had against USSR from Afghanistan to central Asia and use them not only against India in Kashmir but also use them as a potential bargaining tool while dealing with civilized world.

Not surprisingly, as soon as the Taliban and company gained power they started harassing Baloch leaders and national who had left Pakistan during the Pakistani military operation against Baloch nation in 70’s. Following instructions from ISI Taliban started attacking liberal Baloch who have been living in camps in Afghanistan for years and campaigning for independent Baloch state.Many Baloch were killed and remaining were forced to return to Pakistan , Taliban made sure they took away any cash, belongings, and livestock from more than 30000 migrating Baloch households. This was one of the worst migrations in the region as Pakistan Army was more concerned on searching and interrogating the Baloch returning to their homeland that had no food, safe drinking water or shelter.

What religious extremists and ISI did to civilized world is open history now, but it managed to safe guard its interests even in the post 9/11 era. Dr. Qadir used by Musharaf to save ISI and Pakistan army is free and nuclear proliferation by Pakistan seems to have been forgiven and forgotten, ISI assets (the Good Taliban) are freely operating in Quetta and southern Afghanistan.
The civilized world is again preparing to withdraw its focus from Afghanistan and once again hand it over to ISI, this will have great repercussions for world peace in future. Pakistan army has already intensified its genocide of Baloch nation, On 27 March Baloch nation in Balochistan is protesting against the military takeover of their independent state by Pakistan army on the same date during 1948. An independent Baloch state in the region is civilized world’s last hope for lasting peace and curbing Talibanization in Afghanistan.