CHIEF of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa has sought Iran’s cooperation in dealing with Baloch militants allegedly operating from its soil. He called Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces Maj Gen Mohammad Baqeri against the backdrop of last Friday’s attack on a Frontier Corps patrol in the Buleda area of Kech district in which six troops, including Major Nadeem Bhatti, were martyred.
Pakistan has invested heavily both in terms of men and material to improve security situation and restore peace in Balochistan where some foreign powers are engaged in stirring trouble through their alleged local agents. The efforts and sacrifices of Pakistan Army for the cause of peace and security of the province have started bearing fruits as normal activities of life are seen in different parts of Balochistan and developmental activities have now support of the people of the province. This is a major achievement but some vested interests feel threatened over prospects of a change for the better and the province joining national mainstream as far as economic activities are concerned that can also prove instrumental in shaking the otherwise exploitative social make-up of some regions. The latest attack, which took place about 14km from the Pak-Iran border, was claimed by the banned Baloch Liberation Army which is known to have links with India. This is not an allegation or propaganda ploy but reality as confirmed by participants of a number of television shows in India after the tragedy making claims about handling of the miscreants by Indian intelligence agencies. Some time back, Pakistan had prepared a comprehensive dossier providing evidence of Indian involvement and interference in Balochistan, which was shared with influential capitals and the UN. There are reports that Indian agencies use Iranian and Afghan soils for their anti-Pakistan activities and regrettably there is no letup in this nexus despite raising of the issue repeatedly with the leadership of both the countries. Pakistan Army is maintaining stricter vigilance on this side of the border and is also vigorously pursuing its plan of fencing the border and the situation can improve if reciprocity is shown by Kabul and Tehran.
