Indian meddling

Pakistan has once again shown mirror to India. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar was quite categorical as she called upon the world community to take notice of Delhi’s transgression in Pakistan and beyond. She had a perpetual reason to say so, as the recent spate of terror activities inside Pakistan and in Afghanistan clearly indicate a clandestine hand, and none knows the nefarious job than India’s intelligence agency, RAW. She also made a quick reference to India’s malicious desire to foment unrest and destabilise the region. Surge of activities on the part of non-state actors against Pakistani interests in Afghanistan by allegedly employing Islamic State of Khorasan is a well-orchestrated plan to plunge the restive southwest Asian state in turmoil, and strike civil strife against the Taliban.

Khar’s utterance came a day after Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah spilt the beans, saying Islamabad has ‘clear evidence’ of Indian involvement in 2021’s bomb blast in Lahore’s Johar Town neighbourhood. It is now corresponded by experts and intelligence sleuths as a handwork of RAW, targeting the home of Jamaat-ud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed. Though Saeed is incarcerated and is serving a lengthy sentence, the terrorism in Lahore was meant to register Pakistan in bad books. The attack killed several people and scores were injured. Pakistan in an earnest attempt to come clear of FATF grey list had voluntarily opted to book all jihadi elements, and that exhibited its desire for commitment to international law and permanent peace and stability.

Khar has a point as she linked the nexus. Terror activities in Balochistan against the Chinese workers engaged in CPEC constructions simply go on to prove Indian meddling. Likewise, the arrest of Indian naval spy, Kulbushan Yadav from the desolate southern province was a case in point. Last but not least are the upheavals in settled areas of Karachi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the tribal areas, which has literally unnerved the security mosaic. Arrests in Lahore recently of unscrupulous elements on Indian payroll after coming back from Middle East made it clear that the eastern neighbour is fomenting trouble. Funding of militant groups such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Baloch separatist groups are other aspects of the condemnable story wherein despicable manpower is used for planning, financing and executing attacks.

Pakistan, as a peace-loving country, is eager to raise such issues on the diplomatic level. Islamabad is conscious of the fact that in order to make geo-economics triumph, peace among the neighbours is a must. Offering an olive branch to India to indulge in trade and talks is part of policy, but subjective to the realisation that the dispute of Jammu & Kashmir has to be settled for all times to come. The sooner Delhi learns to reciprocate in a congenial manner, the better.