News Analysis |
On Monday, five persons including three belonging to the Hazara community have again been targeted and killed and one injured. Police stated unidentified armed men opened fire at a vehicle on the city’s Kasi Road this morning.
As per police reports, the victims were on their way to Hazar Ganji Sabzi Mandi when the assailants riding a motorcycle opened fire. Following the incident, the assailants were able to flee unhurt. As per initial reports, the incident appears to be an act of targeted killing. The bodies of the deceased and the injured were shifted to a local hospital.
Indian machinations deem that keeping Balochistan and mainly its capital Quetta under the reign of terror and chaos may well work in delaying CPEC long enough to cause it to become unfeasible and useless
Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan has experienced a wave of target killings usually targeting military and sectarian targets over the past decade. The majority of these attacks has been waged by sectarian militants most prominently the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. However, increasing evidence is also pointing to foreign intelligence agencies involved to destabilize Pakistan and Baluchistan with CPEC considerations in mind. These agencies use so-called ‘sectarian’ groups for mercenary uses.
Read more: No province for young men
On August 8, 2016, Quetta saw a well planned and coordinated attack which resulted in the deaths of at least 93 people, lawyers being half of them. On the morning of August 8, President Baluchistan Bar Association, Advocate Bilal Anwar Kasi, was murdered near Mengal Chowk on Manno Jan Road by assailants on a motorbike.
R&AW is alleged to have supported Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan in the tribal areas as well as Baluch separatist leaders. R&AW was created in 1968 to further Indian strategic and foreign policy interests
The body was taken to Government Hospital where senior lawyers and members of Baluchistan Bar Association gathered to pay respect. In a well-conceived plan, the terrorists dispatched a suicide bomber to the same hospital where they correctly predicted the arrival of a large number of lawyers, media persons and social activists. The suicide bomber blew himself in the middle of the gathering killing and injuring a large number of people.
The victims included the senior lawyers, members of Bar and barristers which practically wiped out much of the senior tier of lawyers in Quetta. The attack was claimed by Jammat ul Ahrar and Islamic State. Baluchistan is a province which is already marred by sectarian violence, insurgency and terrorist activities conducted by BLA, BLF, Lashkar- e-Jhangvi among others. The arrival of IS and Jammat ul Ahrar in Baluchistan exacerbated the problems for security agencies which are already overstretched in the province.
Read more: Pakistanis & Indo-Afghan Terrorism: Pakistanis don’t know how to respond?
Another deadly attack was the terrorist raid on the Police Training Academy 20 kilometers outside Quetta on 24 October 2016. Heavily-armed militants wearing suicide vests stormed a police academy in Quetta, killing at least 61 people and wounding at least 117. Communication intercepts showed the attack was carried out by Al-Alimi faction of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ) militant group. This was the deadliest attack on a security installation in the country’s history.
Communication intercepts showed the attack was carried out by Al-Alimi faction of the LJ militant group. This was the deadliest attack on a security installation in the country’s history
Experts assert that the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi usually performs a mercenary function in attacks i.e. carrying out atrocities for cash by other parties. A major customer is the Indian intelligence agency R&AW. India has been involved in destabilizing Pakistan by using state and non-state actors.
Unfortunately, using non-state actor is an old Indian strategy to weaken and destabilize Pakistan. R&AW is alleged to have supported Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan in the tribal areas as well as Baluch separatist leaders. R&AW was created in 1968 to further Indian strategic and foreign policy interests.
Read more: The tragedies in June : a fitting epitaph!
The arrest of serving Indian Officer Kulbhusan Yadav exposed the RAW-terrorist nexus. Balochistan seems to be the main focus of India’s new campaign to destabilize Pakistan. In New Delhi’s eyes, Balochistan is the main lynchpin of the CPEC project which can significantly empower Pakistan’s economy. Indian machinations deem that keeping Balochistan and mainly its capital Quetta under the reign of terror and chaos may well work in delaying CPEC long enough to cause it to become unfeasible and useless.