Another international conspiracy in the making

By Asif Haroon Raja
After breaking Pakistan into two in December 1971, RAW started meddling into internal affairs of truncated Pakistan. Sindh was selected as the next target for subversion. RAW started its work in interior Sindh in 1973 where it was easy for it to cultivate Sindhi nationalist parties. GM Sayed activated Sindhu Desh movement at the behest of RAW. At the same time, RAW worked upon Urdu speaking community residing in Karachi and guided Altaf Hussain to form All Pakistan Muhajir Movement Organisation (APMSO) in 1978. Later, RAW helped in forming MQM as a political party in March 1984 under Altaf and gave him complete guidance how to go about terrorizing the people of Karachi into submission through fascism, drumming socio-politico-economic grievances of Muhajirs to gain their sympathies, keep expanding its political control over port city and then later expanding its influence to Hyderabad and other urban centres in Sindh. While covertly supporting both Sindhu Desh movement as well as MQM, RAW cleverly accentuated antagonism between old Sindhis and new Sindhis and sharpened rural-urban divide.
Insurgency in Balochistan led by the rebels of Marri and Mengal tribes in the wake of sacking of provincial governments of Balochistan and NWFP by ZA Bhutto in 1973 gave a chance to RAW in concert with KGB and KHAD to start subverting the people in Balochistan. The trio actively supported Baloch insurgency which raged till 1978. India got aligned with former Soviet Union and Soviet installed Afghan regime in 1980 and the intelligence agencies of the three countries together with Al-Zulfiqar Organisation carried out intensive acts of sabotage and subversion against Pakistan till the defeat of USSR in 1989. In NWFP, India maintained its links with NAP which turned into ANP after former was banned by Bhutto. With the help of Sindh nationalist parties and ANP, India succeeded in preventing construction of Kalabagh Dam, vital for Pakistan’s survival. RAW also promoted Saraikistan movement in early 1990s in order to divide and weaken Punjab. In Gigit-Baltistan, RAW supported Balwaristan movement. RAW has been playing a definite role in stoking ethnicity, sectarianism and in creating religious divides.

Commencement of Khalistan movement in East Punjab after the massacre of Sikhs in golden temple in 1984 by Indian military and later start of freedom movement in Indian occupied Kashmir (IOK) in 1989 by Kashmiris put India in a deep quandary. Provision of list of Sikh rebellious leaders by PPP government to Rajev Gandhi in 1989 helped Indian forces to crush Khalistan movement which was fast inching forward to get linked with Kashmir movement. Turmoil in Kashmir forced India to commit massive force of over 700,000 troops in IOK, which became a bleeding wound for India’s economy and a cause of huge embarrassment for Indian military. No amount of use of force, torture and policy of rapes could subdue the liberty movement. By 2001, the security situation in IOK became dangerous and the morale of Indian security forces deployed in IOK sunk low. India continued to impress upon the US with which it had developed strategic relationship in 1991 to declare Pakistan a terrorist state since in its view Pakistan was aiding and abetting armed uprising in IOK.
9/11 came as a blessing in disguise for India. Making good use of the new laws enacted by USA on terrorism, India succeeded in portraying freedom struggle in IOK as terrorism and Pakistan as an abettor of terrorism. RAW spearheaded the covert war against Pakistan in 2002 from Afghan soil. It also made use of its consulates in Iran and later on South Africa and London to surge up lawlessness in Karachi with the help of MQM. To start with, FATA and Balochistan were made restive under a well calculated plan. Space was created for TTP in FATA and for BLA, BRA, BLF, Jundollah in Balochistan. Owing to commonality of objectives of weakening and denuclearizing Pakistan, RAW was assisted by CIA, MI-6, Mossad, NDS, BND and even Russian agency. The rebels were provided funds, arms, equipment, explosives as well as training and guidance to fight the security forces and pin them down in two extreme end regions. Flames of war were then gradually shifted towards settled areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Peshawar and by 2007, terrorism entered Punjab with the help of Punjabi Taliban. Blackwater added fuel to fire. Karachi came under the fire of terrorism from 2008 onwards. NGOs, human rights activists and media in Pakistan acted as moles to provide human intelligence, discredit law enforcers and facilitate funding to terrorist groups. Save the Children NGO has the biggest deployment in all the disturbed regions of Pakistan. Aman-ki-Asha and SAFMA are RAW sponsored.
In FATA and in Swat, Pakistani Taliban projected themselves as Islamists wanting to introduce Sharia but their activities ran counter to teachings of Islam. They destroyed schools and colleges, undertook kidnapping for ransom, carried out slaughter of captives and systematically gunned down pro-Pakistan clerics, elders and Maliks. They portrayed Pak security forces as non-Muslims and America’s mercenaries. In actuality, TTP leaders got dazzled by dollars offered by USA and picked up arms against the state. They followed the agenda of their pay masters. In Balochistan, the rebellious Baloch Sardars and nationalist leaders initially voiced political and economic grievances and demanded provincial autonomy and greater share in mineral resources of the province. Settlers in Balochistan, particularly Punjabis were targeted and forced to migrate in large numbers. Once most of their demands were met after passage of 18th Amendment and mega projects launched to address the inequities, they started demanding independence of Balochistan. Those demanding separation are not more than 3%, while the rest of Baloch people are highly patriotic. Rebel Baloch leaders have been given asylum by UK, Switzerland and USA and they are living a luxurious life. Their patrons are promoting their separatist agenda and with the help of NGOs and human rights organizations based in Pakistan, forcefully object to retaliatory actions undertaken by the Frontier Constabulary and Frontier Corps (FC) against the rebels involved in terrorism and criminal acts. On the pattern of Bengali rebellious groups trained in India in 1971, BLA, BRA and BLF trained and equipped in Afghanistan are involved in sabotage activities. Counter actions are projected as violation of human rights. Although only FC is involved in counter terrorism and the Army is in the barracks, it is falsely claimed that the Army has undertaken a military operation and that intelligence agencies are involved in kidnappings of Baloch dissidents. Hue and cry was made on issues of missing persons, mutilated bodies and mass graves to demoralize and undermine the FC and intelligence agencies.
The Baloch youth in schools and colleges particularly in Baloch dominated regions have been systematically brainwashed and their impressionable minds filled with hatred against central government in general and Punjab, Army and ISI in particular. They were told that despite their province being the largest and rich in resources, it is most under developed. Textbooks in Balochi were printed in Afghanistan under India’s arrangements. Settlers particularly Punjabis were targeted and forced to migrate in large numbers. Pro-government Baloch, settlers and Hazaras are being steadily killed by target killers, while security convoys, check posts, railway lines, gas pipelines, electric grid stations, passenger trains and buses were attacked. Pattern is the same as was practiced in erstwhile East Pakistan.
In 1971, East Pakistan was separated from Pakistan under a global conspiracy. India was helped by former Soviet Union, US State Department/CIA, Israel and the west. Another international conspiracy is in the making to separate Balochistan from Pakistan. India has a wider agenda and is heavily involved in Karachi. This time, India is backed by USA, Afghanistan, Israel and Britain. RAW’s involvement in Balochistan and in Karachi has been authenticated. Are our leaders aware of it and are mentally and physically prepared to thwart the conspiracy, or they are too busy in plundering and saving their seat of power? Noose had been tightened around the neck of Mujibur Rahman and his accomplices in 1968 after the discovery of Agartala conspiracy but the politicians ganged up and let him off the hook and facilitated him in accomplishing his dream of creating Bangladesh. Today the noose has been tightened around another Mir Jaffar playing Indian game. Will the politicians deliver this time or once again prefer political expediency and personal interests over the integrity and sovereignty of Pakistan? Had 1992 military operation been taken to its logical conclusion, the evil would have been nipped in the bud. Like in FATA where massive force has been applied to root out rural terrorism, why impediments are being created for Rangers in Karachi to eliminate scourge of urban terrorism which is bleeding Pakistan’s economy. Why are we not making concerted efforts to get Fazlullah and Khurasani based in Afghanistan and Altaf and Baloch rebel leaders in London repatriated to Pakistan?
The writer is a retired Brig, war veteran/defence analyst/columnist/author of five books, Director Measac Research Centre, Director Board of Governors TFP. asifharoonraja@gmail.com