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Thursday 14 January 2010

The Both Frontiers of Pakistan


Asad Khan Betini 

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Monday has asked the US to bridge the existing “trust-deficit” with his country, and provide drone technology and sharing actionable intelligence to bolster his government’s efforts to combat militancy. In his talks Monday with an American delegation led by Senator Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Gilani “underscored the imperative of bridging the existing trust-deficit between Pakistan and the U.S.” for the long-term partnership between the two countries. “He rejected misperceptions about the existence of Quetta Shura or the Afghan Taliban leadership in Pakistan, and reiterated his country’s desire to fence its border with Afghanistan”.

Pakistani Based Taliban are believed to have strengthen their influence in Tribal Areas adjoining liaison with the Afghan Taliban, but still the tension was irritating in Afghan government that some Afghan Taliban leaders might be hiding inside Quetta the south-west city of Pakistan. Recently CIA video tape has revealed that the suicide bomber was one of the clandestine activist correlated to Pakistani based Taliban in Tribal Areas of Pakistan, yet Pakistani leaders are denying the presence of Quetta Shura Taliban amid the real threat was being felt from North-West Taliban, thus Pakistan launched major offensive against Taliban in the north west of Pakistan. The Pakistani operation resulted pressure on the Taliban to leave their base, while many of the Taliban have been moving towards Afghanistan, but some of migrated Taliban are devising traps for western troops in Afghanistan that has resulted massive causalities.

On the other hand Balochistan is also facing democratic issues; Which Pakistan has formally declared Indian involvement in Balochistan. I meet with the Baloch Activist of the leading party The Acting President of “Balochistan National Party Mengal (BNP-N)” Dr. Jahanzeb Jamaldini, and asked him about the Indian involvement during the dinner, he simply replied “we are having no links with India; neither India was supporting us ever, we are working for greater autonomy and want Balochistan out of Pakistan, I invite the world powers to take interest and help us get rid of Pakistan” he said.

“Baloch people have always been killed by the dictators notwithstanding the fact that they expressed their solidarity with the federation and remained loyal to the country” Shah Zain Bugti, the grandson of late Nawab Akbar Bugti and President Balochistan Jamhoori Watan Party stated this while addressing reporters at the Residence. Zain Bugti shed light on the miserable plight of the Baloch and said their leaders, whether it was Noroz or Akbar Bugti, have always been bluffed by the military rulers. It is time that the Baloch should be given their rights. He said no Baloch was getting any assistant from India and they were truly pro- Pakistani who had voted to merge with Pakistan during the partition. He censured Pervez Musharraf for victimizing the Baloch only for his personal gains. He said Akbar Bugti wanted royalty on gas and other resources as a right of the Baloch people and not for his self. The Balochistan royalty from the Federation stands at Rs 2550 billion, he said adding, and they also have a right over Gawadar. Shah Zain strongly dispelled that Punjabis were being targeted in Balochistan and accused the frontier Corp (FC) forces in this respect. When I asked Talal Akbar Bugti the son of Nawabzada Akbar Bugti he replied the same, and condemned the operation of Pakistani forces inside Balochistan.

Earlier Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif declared Indian Involvement during his press conference in Quetta, and later on Nawaz Sharif the Quaid of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) encouraged Baloch for the mission of provincial autonomy. On the other hand Rehman Malik Interior Minister of Pakistan said that “The evidence regarding Indian involvement in Balochistan has been delivered to Ministry of Foreign affairs” but the evidence is yet to be brought on the screen.

 The delaying of giving proofs of Indian involvement has made Question for the promotion of the peace process in the entire region; this needs immediate action to resolve Balochistan’s Issue, and both frontiers needs hard bearers so that the Taliban’s influence on both Afghanistan and Pakistani side could be brought to an end.

Author can be reached at: asdprg@gmail.com

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