Pakistan has long been complaining that India is involved in instigating insurgency in Balochistan and also sponsoring acts of terrorism in this country. Both accusations are vociferously denied by New Delhi. An indirect acceptance of these complaints has now come from no less a personage than the recently retired chief of the Indian army, General Vijay Kumar Singh. Excerpts of an Indian DG Military Operations report, appearing in a section of that country's press, quote him as saying that the Tactical Support Division (TSD) of the Indian Army was handed money "to try enrolling the secessionist chief in the province of a neighbouring country." And that TSD also "claimed an unspecified amount for carrying out eight low-intensity bomb blasts in a neighbouring country." No prizes for guessing right the neighbouring country's name.
Aside from various reports that have corroborated Islamabad's stance, recently, ie, last August, US Special Representative for Afghanistan James Dobbins came up with an extraordinary public acknowledgement of Indian involvement in Balochistan. He told the BBC that Pakistan's concerns vis-à-vis Indian Jalalabad and Kandahar-based consulates' activities in Balochistan, though somewhat exaggerated, were "not groundless." The Indian government and media while rejecting any such connection have been demanding evidence. Meanwhile, they have gone on to tarnish Pakistan's image as a sponsor of terrorism. In his recent UN General Assembly speech the Indian Prime Minister reiterated old allegations to call Pakistan "epicenter of terrorism." They now have evidence on good authority.
Both issues of course are very different. As regards instigating secessionists, it can be argued that it is not unusual for traditional rivals like Pakistan and India to create such trouble for one another. As long as Balochistan remains in turmoil due to unresolved political issues, outsiders will try and exploit the situation for their purposes. Once Islamabad manages to settle the problems at the root of Baloch insurgency, Indian trouble-makers will have hard time finding recruits to create mischief. The more serious issue is that of terrorism. TSD, defunct since December 2012, was a more recent creation. Long before the rise of extremist violence in this country, Indian agents exploded what General Singh described as low intensity bomb blasts. The problem is that low intensity bomb blasts too kill people. There have been innumerable incidents of bombs going off in markets and aboard passenger buses, long before the extremists violence started in this country. In one horrific incident near Pattoki in Pakistan's Punjab province, an entire busload of passengers was incinerated in a bomb explosion. Whether such acts of terrorism bring death to ordinary people riding in a bus or staying in a luxury hotel such as the Taj in Mumbai, the nature of the crime is the same. For civilised societies all human lives are equally precious. General Singh's admissions call for introspection by all Indians who regard terrorism as an extreme act of inhumanity. The Pakistani government must also take up the issue in international fora. India's "epicenter of terrorism" narrative on the issue needs to be challenged effectively.
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