Pakistan’s Double Game…. Options for international community

Pakistan since the early days of Charlie Wilson’s War in Afghanistan has been one of the major recipients of US military aid. Pakistan military established close contacts with extremists around the world during Afghan war but ISI did not abandon those contacts after the war. Following the disintegration of USSR “ISI” became the real Government in Afghanistan and the country was turned into a safe haven for international terrorists.
But this was not enough for ISI or Pakistan army’s generals thus started the militarization or Talibanization of Pakistan. The Jamait E Islami and Jameet e ulma e Islam and other fanatical groups were fully supported and strengthened hence they became custodian of “ideology of Pakistan” which is nothing more than war propaganda used by ISI to ensure continuous supply of extremist organizations to fight in Kashmir and Afghanistan. Thus Jamait E Islami and Jameet e ulma e Islam and other such organization gave birth to another group of organizations such as lashkar e taiba, and others that have a prefix lashkar attached to them. This nomenclature “Jamait” (which means an organization) and Lashkar (which means a group) was of specific interest to ISI operatives. From the Madersas which were, and still are, ruled by Jamait E Islami and Jameet e ulma e Islam extremists are enrolled into these two organizations and are further brain washed by these organizations and only the most radical elements amongst them are selected to join the Lashkars (the groups). These selected radical elements are trained , financed and used by ISI these Lashkars are what Pakistan army generals proudly refer to as Non State Actors.
Now the organizations such Jamait e Islami and Jameet e ulma e Islam are not only running the huge madersa system in Pakistan but through ISI financing and support they have also become political parties.

Under the constant military regimes in Pakistan, only one group of print and electronic media was allowed to grow. Hence it’s not surprising that biggest ISI sponsored news paper in Pakistan has a strange name “Jang” which if translated means “WAR” and the TV channel of the same organization goes by the name of “Jeo” which means “LIVING” put the two together and it becomes the Ideology of Pakistan “living the war”. The question is which war? It’s a war against India, a war against secularism, a war against democratic nations. Recently a telephonic conversation between a very influential anchor of the above mentioned media organization and a Taliban extremist has surfaced. In this conversation the Taliban team leader requests guidance from this media anchor (Hamid Mir) about a person that is under their custody. Hamid Mir (the famous anchor) advises the Taliban team leader to further interrogate that person. This shows the extent to which ISI controls each and every walk of life in Pakistan.


The Pakistan army has occupied Balochistan which accounts for more than 45% land and most of natural resources in Pakistan including the natural gas resources. Baloch are freedom loving, secular people who never believed or joined the ISI war machinery and instead have been demanding the freedom of their homeland from Pakistan. Hence Pakistan army is conducting the most systematically planned genocide of Baloch nation through means of chemical weapons, gunship helicopters, forced disappearances, torture cells, no political rights, and no medical and other services. Not surprisingly Pakistan military also choose to conduct its nuclear tests inside Baloch population in Balochistan.

Historically, the western powers have always sided with Pakistan army against the Baloch nation hence Pakistan has freely used surveillance and military equipment against Baloch nation that was handed over for use against Taliban militants. But this time around the entire command and control system of Taliban militants is based in Quetta and despite repeated requests for international community Pakistan army has declined to take any action against Quetta Shura. Baloch National Struggle for freedom provides an excellent opportunity to international community for intervention in the region and eradication of Taliban support system established by ISI in Quetta surely Baloch would well come such a move. The other option would be to support appointments of (the so called) liberal minded generals on key position and hope that they will somehow change the system. The temporary gestures of commitment to international peace are nothing more than false promises by Pakistani generals and world has seen that from Zia to Musharaf, they simply Do Not deliver and they don’t want to.

The Baloch leaders Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri, Hyrbiyar Marri, Brahumdagh Bugti and Dr. Allah Nazar are all willing to sit on Table for independence of their homeland with international community. It’s time the international community abandons its long standing policy of supporting Pakistan Army and starts looking for new options of stability in Afghanistan. The independence of Balochistan and stability in Afghanistan are intertwined because without cutting the Taliban supply line from Quetta (Balochistan) there can be no peace in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan the exit strategy and resulting vacuum

As the international coalition forces prepare to withdraw the South East Asian analysts begin to worry about the resulting vacuum and extreme eagerness of neighboring countries to fill in the vacuum and exploit the Afghan situation to their maximum use.At the forefront is Pakistan military that due to its past involvement in Afghanistan in Soviet era and than during Taliban’s rule has strong connections with Taliban leadership even in the toughest times after 9/11 Pakistan’s Inter Services intelligence agency did not abandon its assets in Afghanistan but instead helped to keep the command and control structure of Afghan talibans in Quetta.

During the presence of international forces in Afghanistan India supported the reconstruction of country and also Baloch nationalist leaders stayed in Afghanistan. During these years Pakistan also significantly increased the China’s presence in Balochistan, the resource rich territory that accounts for more than 45% land of Pakistan and has a sea port. Against the wishes of Baloch nation China has continued investing heavily in Baloch sea port of Gawader. Hence soon after the withdrawal of international coalition forces it’s not only Pakistan military establishment that will be supporting its Taliban movement to retake all the positions in Afghanistan and push India out of the country but also China would be supporting that initiative too.

This has strategic implications for Pakistan and China, Pakistan on its part has been in a state of war against Baloch nation it has used its Army against civilians, chemical weapons, kidnappings, killings of political and student leaders and infamous torture cells to overcome Baloch national struggle for freedom and an Afghanistan under Taliban’s ensures Pakistan that no Baloch leader could go into exile there.

Secondly Pakistan also sees the militant religious organizations such as Afghan Taliban’s as well as internal organization such as those fighting in Kashmir (and involved in Mumbai attacks) as important components of its future designs against India.

Most importantly Pakistan and China see a Taliban rule in Afghanistan as their only viable option to keep Indian completely out of Afghan scene and gain a safe and exclusive access to Central Asian countries through Afghanistan and then to Gulf Sea through Baloch seaport of Gawader.

This plan obviously involves taking back everything to Taliban era which means no education for girl, no human rights, no political and freedom of speech. That seems to be the dilemma where international coalition troop commanders wish to withdraw handing over the control to Afghan forces its evident that Taliban’s backed by Pakistan military intelligence with a logistical base at Quetta are far better off in the battle.

Baloch national struggle for independence offers a great opportunity for a stable independent, democratic government in Afghanistan because Pakistan has access to Afghanistan through Baloch territory and an independent Baloch state would be a natural buffer zone. But currently the coalition commanders are planning for a quick withdrawal even if it means an unstable Afghanistan ruled by Taliban’s.