Why sudden increase in terrorism in Pakistan?

Part 1

Asif Haroon Raja

Afghan Jihad (1979-1989)

After the Islamic revolution in Iran in March 1979, the next big event which took place was the occupation of Afghanistan by the Soviet forces in December 1979. In anticipation to the Great Bear taking the next step in search of warm waters, Pakistan’s President Gen ZiaulHaq considered it prudent to support the Afghan resistance movement and to fight the war on Afghan soil rather than waiting to fight the future war on Pak soil. After standing up to the Soviet challenge alone till June 1981, the US decided to join the war by extending material support to Pakistan and the Mujahideen were named as holy warriors. FATA was turned into a forward base of operation and training ground to launch the Mujahids.The CIA brought in thousands of Mujahidsfrom other Muslim countries. While the weapons and intelligence were provided by USA, and funds by Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the overall coordinator and executor of covert and overt operations was the ISI. As per Bruce Reidel, the US spent only $4-5 billion, and the rest of funding was done by KSA. 

Joint efforts of Pakistan and the Mujahideen forced the Soviet forces to exit from Afghanistan by February 1989. Their humiliating defeat and crashing economy splintered USSR and reduced it to Russian Federation in 1991, ending bi-polarism and the cold war between the two super powers. The ones who had elevated USA to the status of the sole super power, were left alone by ungrateful USAto fend for themselves. The US made India, which was the camp follower of USSR since its inception, as its strategic partner and Pakistan was put under sanctions and scrutiny. 

Pakistan bore the fallout effects of the ten-year war in Afghanistan, which had given rise to religious extremism and sectarianism in the 1990s. But it was by and large a nonviolent country where suicide attacks and explosive filled vehicle explosions were unheard of. Baluchistan and FATA were peaceful and Pakistan was economically showing signs of progress.

Post 9/11 Era

When 9/11 happened, the world was horror-struck over the dastardly aerial terrorism which claimed about 3000 American lives.The whole world sympathized with USA and this sympathy wave has not completely evaporated even now after it was learnt that it was an in-house affair engineered by Zionists and neocons to achieve global ambitions. George W. Bush administration itched for revenge and launched a crusade against self-appointed terrorists without any evidence.

The US once again befriended Pakistan to gain short term benefits, but under the condition that it will unfriend Taliban regime in Kabul and provide all kinds of military and intelligence support to the US-NATO forces to occupy Afghanistan. Gen Musharraf in search of legitimacy agreed, but instead of giving a helping hand to 48-country alliance under the umbrella of ISAF to fight Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, he agreed to fight them on Pak soil when his arm was twisted in 2002.

Terrorism used as a weapon against Pakistan

Gen Musharraf’s decision to send regular troops to South Waziristan to fight CIA created Al-Qaeda that had taken part in Afghan Jihad against the Soviet forces in Afghanistanalong with the Mujahideen, triggered a backlash and for the first time the Waziri tribesmenpicked up arms against Pak security forces.

The plan envisaged spreading flames of terrorism in FATA to PATA to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and next Punjab. Simultaneously Baluchistan was to be made restive. In this the US, India, Afghanistan, UK, Israel were fully involved. Their intelligence agencies sat under one roof at SehraNeward north of Kabul and hatched conspiracies to destabilize Pakistan with the help of paid proxies, and to later on denuclearize it.Subsequently, scuttling of CPEC became an added target.

RAW established 87 training camps and centres (66 in eastern and southern Afghanistan and 21 in India). The Indian Embassy in Kabul acted as master planner and 4 Indian Consulates filled with RAW agents worked as forward coordinating centres. Iran was made as an auxiliary base of operation.

Cross border terrorism was planned and executed at a massive scale from Afghan soil which was spearheaded by RAW and 14 Indian intelligence agencies, and supported by, CIA, MI-6, Mossad, BND, and NDS.Objectives were to destabilize, denuclearize, secularize and balkanize Pakistan.

CIA and FBI established Spider Web network in FATAin which retired commando soldiers from Pakistan and Afghanistan were inducted on high pay scale. Outward modus operandi was to net Al-Qaeda elements, but its task was to create space and areas of influence for Baitullah Masood and Abdullah Masood and pave the way for establishing Tehreek Taliban Pakistan (TTP) with tentacles in all seven tribal agencies. Well over 400 to 600 pro-Pakistan elders, Maliks and religious leaders were killed in FATA and civil administration officials terrorized.Intelligence duties of FATA were taken over by CIA from the ISI and the latter tasked to kill/arrest Al-Qaeda operatives. The ISI and security forces nabbed over 600 Al-Qaeda leaders and operativesand their Pakistani affiliates, who were handed over to CIA. The flames of terrorism weregradually spread from one tribal agency to another. After making whole of FATA restive, and next KP, Islamabad and major cities of Punjab were also subjected to suicide attacks and group attacks, particularly after Lal Masjid episode in July 2007.

Likewise terrorism was enflamed in Baluchistan in 2004 with the help of Bugti, Marri and Mengal Baloch tribes.Shamsi airbase in Baluchistan was used by CIA to launch drones against anti-American elements in FATA, and those signing peace deal with the Pak Army. This base was also used by CIA to support Sunni Jundollah against Iran. Later on, urban Sindh was made turbulent through MQM in 2010-11. No part of the country remained safe from acts of terror, which included, IED attacks, suicide attacks, explosive laden vehicle attacks, group attacks and target killings.

Efforts were made to undermine Pak nuclear program by selling the narrative that it was vulnerable and likely to fall in wrong hands. Idea of joint control was floated with a view to steal or disable the nukes. 

The new laws framed on terrorism by USA helped India, Afghanistan and Israel to fan terrorism in target countries. Fearing to be declared a terrorist state, Gen Musharraf and his successors adopted a defensive, reactive and apologetic strategy and not only refrained from countering the state terrorism of India and Afghanistan, but also failed to chalk out a counter narrative of Indo-Afghan-US narrative that Pakistan abets terrorism and others are victims. To please USA, Pak leaders kept doing more, not realizing that the demand of doing more was meant to tire and exhaust security forces and to dishevel Pak economy.  

Major counter terrorism operations launched by Pakistan

Once the TTP reached closer to Margala Hills in Islamabad after capturing Lower Dir and Buner, Operations Rah-e-Raast and Rah-e-Nijaat were launched in 2009 which helped in recovering 17 out of 19 administrative units that had come under the sway of TTP. During these operations, dozens of concealed caves laden with arms of all kinds, ammunition, explosives, IEDs, suicide jackets and Thora satellite wireless setswere discovered. Suicide training centre at Srarogha run by Qazi Hussain and a simulated paradise at Khaisurain South Waziristanwere found. Several Hindus disguised as Imam Masjids were arrested. After the terror attack on Jinnah terminal, Operation Zarb-e-Azb was launched in June 2014 which cleared North Waziristan and Khyber Agency. Huge caches of arms were seized, and hidden jails and IED manufacturing factories demolished.  Writ of the state in lawless FATAwas restored. The TTP and all its affiliates took refuge in Afghanistan. The three operations were at the cost of about 4000 casualties of the brave-hearts.

In Baluchistan, after a military operation in 2006-07, the Frontier Corps was strengthened and given frontline security duties. The separatist agenda assigned to Baloch militant groups BLA, BRA, BLF, and Lashkar Baluchistanled by the absconding rebellious Baloch leaders was busted.

In Sindh, Rangers and police were employed in September 2013 to eliminate urban terrorism which was quashed in 2016 after defanging militant wing of the MQM.Lights of port city were restored. The MQM militants used to go to India by air via Bangkok to get trained in target killings in 4 training camps in Dera Dun and Harayana. Runaway JavedLangra received them at Delhi airport. One of the sources of arms procurement were NATO containers stolen by Port & Shipping minister Babar Ghori. Funds were delivered by RAW to Altaf Hussain living a lord’s life in exile in posh area of London since June 1992. Altaf and his absconding companions were given full protection and facilities by British govt and Mi-6.

After a terror attack in Lahore, Operation RadulFasad was launched in February 2017, which was directed against financiers, facilitators, handlers and sleeping cells in urban centres all over the country. Tens of hundreds of intelligence based operations were launched and pleasing results were achieved, but all have not been netted/destroyed. This is evident from the recurrence of acts of terror and in recent weeks the frequency has increased. Once Gen Qamar Bajwa refused to ‘Do More’, and started constructing fence along the western border and improved border management, the displeased US cut off Close Support Fund (CSF), and put Pakistan in the web of FATF. After placing it in grey list, the US is now threatening to blacklist it.

Crime-politics-financial terrorism nexus

One reason behind not achieving 100% results is the nexus between crime-politics and financial terrorism about which former army chief Gen Raheel had stated in 2016 that without breaking this nexus, terrorism cannot be eliminated. In this, Mafias, some political parties, religious groups, proscribed groups,NGOs, human rights activists, some think tanks and media persons on the payroll of foreign intelligence agencies promote foreign agenda.

The current regime of PTI led by Imran Khan is trying to break the nexus of financial terrorism, stop money laundering, end corruption and eliminate the power of Mafias. So far, little progress has been made since the Mafias are too powerful and an alliance of 11 political parties under the umbrella of PDM has been formed, which is espousing the Indian narrative to disrepute the army, judiciary and the ruling government. 

Pak media expansionism

After stoking terrorism, the US helped Pakistan in expanding and modernizing electronic media with a hidden objective of using it as its own mouthpiece to win battle of minds. Not only George Bush dished out millions of dollars to Pak media, out of $7.5 billion Kerry Lugar Bill aid package given to Pakistan in 2009 by Obama-Joe Biden administration, $ 1.5 billion was for Pak media. The aid package was given under the condition that the released amounts would be distributed for the projects by the US appointed contractors and none else. The diplomatic embassies and consulates acted as safe havens as was seen in Raymond David case.

Afghan refugees

Segment of Afghan refugees living in camps and outside play into the hands of foreign agencies and provide refuge and guidance to the terrorists launched from Afghanistan. The porous western border across which 40,000 people crossed daily from both sides and weak border management were other reasons for easy infiltration of non-state actors. 

The intelligence network/Blackwater

CIA-FBIoutpostsinitially established in FATA,secretly brought in RAW-NDS-Mossad-MI-6 agents to form a network. In 2008, thanks to Hussain Haqqani and Rahman Malik,Blackwater made its way. Its operatives rented residential houses in major cities of Islamabad, Peshawar, Lahore, Quetta and Karachi, established a training centre at Sihala in a rented houseto train security guards, set up an arms shop, and purchased tinted glassed luxury cars.FBI took over immigration department at airports and seaport. The Blackwater and intelligence network made use of all anti-state elements including TTP and media, and coordinated covert war and hybrid war. They indulged in target killings, abductions, created divisiveness in the society, polarized politics, spoilt civil-military relations, fanned ethnicity, sectarianism, religious extremism, terrorismandspread gloom and doom.

Over a period of time, foreign intelligence agencies havegained contacts with all the proscribed group, and penetrated each and every government and semi government department. This network helped in executing the US Navy Seals night attack in Abbottabad on May 2, 2011. This attack couldn’t have materialized without the blessing of the PPP regime and Hussain Haqqani posted as ambassador in Washington. He also drafted infamous Memo gate in October 2011, which was aimed at defanging the military and the ISI and putting the nuclear assets under IAEA control. Although DG ISI Lt Gen Shuja Pasha made huge efforts to roll back the influence of foreign agencies and push out Blackwater and achieved considerable success, however, the PML-N regime also pursued pro-US and pro-India policies and developed family relations with Modi and business relations with Indian businessman Jindan.

Special cell in Delhi

After China-Pakistan signed the CPEC project in April 2014, a special cell was established at New Delhi under the direct supervision of NSA AjitDoval, which was heavily funded and was connected with KalbushanYadhavat Chahbahar. Sole aim of this cell was to subvert CPEC through proxy war. This cell has now come under the direct supervision of Modi and so far Rs. 80 billion have been allocated. A militia of 700 specially trained men has been formed and granted $ 60 million to sabotage CPEC. The CPEC has become a major eyesore for India, USA and Israel since it has the capacity to block global ambitions of imperialist powers. Pakistan has deployed two security divisions to protect the CPEC.

                                                                                                                                                                To be continued

Why sudden increase in terrorism in Pakistan?

Part 2

Asif Haroon Raja

Upsurge in terrorism and its reasons

There has been a sudden increase in incidents of terrorism in Karachi, North Waziristan,Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,and Baluchistan. In Karachi, Chinese Consulate and Stock Exchange were attacked. In Baluchistan 24 soldiers lost their lives in last Oct? After an attack in Quetta on Oct 15,another cowardly attack occurred in a Madrassa in Peshawar on Oct 27, in which ten children died and 100 were injured.The terrorists succeed in striking the chosen soft targets with ease and seldom are nabbed beforehand.

The question is, why it is so when Pakistan security forces have broken the back of terrorism, improved their expertise in counter terrorism and intelligence skills, improved border management, and fenced almost two-third of the border. There is no lack of will to fight terrorism and soldiers are laying down their lives valiantly. No other country involved in war on terror has rendered so many sacrifices as Pakistan has done. 83000 fatalities including 9000 belonging to security forces is a colossal loss which has traumatized 83000 families. From 2001 till now, 19,130 terror attacks took place in Pakistan.India has spent Rs 22 billion in the last 3 years to destabilize Baluchistan.  

Terrorism was easier when the safe havens were in FATA; but has become cumbersome from the bases and training camps in Nuristan, Kunar, Nangarhar, Paktika and Khost in Afghanistan because of long distance, crossing of the border and fence, and presence of highly trained and motivated Pak security forces as well as patriotic tribesmen and village guards who refuse to cooperate with them.

The terrorists devoid of any religion are from the poor class and majority of the victims are also from the deprived class.One thing is clear that no terrorist howsoever motivated would risk his life unless he is badly in need of money for himself or his family,or is brainwashed. Young boys fed with the promise ofheavenly rewards are used for suicide attacks. While the poor are used as cannon fodder, the heartless masterminds have their own selfish materialistic agenda.

Cross border terrorism cannot take place without terror infrastructure installed by RAW-NDS, where physical and motivational training is imparted, funds given, weapons/ explosives/IED/suicide jacket provided, facilitation and handling at the site of occurrence arranged.Cross border terrorism by militant groups is almost impossible without the patronage of the Afghan regime, NDS and RAW. They cannot undertake covert operations secretly right under the nose of US-NATO troops, ANSF and CIA. If this is the ground reality, it implies that the US which is the initiator of war on terror, it is strategically aligned with NATO, Israel, India and Afghanistan, has defined objectives against Pakistan, as such its involvement is beyond doubt. 

After the clearance of FATAfrom the presence of TTP in 2015 through OperationZarbAzb, RAW has been arming, fundingandlaunching TTP, JamaatulAhrar (JuA), Lashkar Islam, HizbulAhrar and Lashkar Jhangviinto northwestern Pakistan from the safe havens in Afghanistan, and Baloch proxies BLA, BRA, BLF in Baluchistan.In order to rejuvenate the splintered and demoralized TTP as well as Baloch dissident groups, RAW in league with NDS and assisted by CIA managed to unite BLA, BRA and BLF under the banner of Baloch RaajiAsjoiSangar (BRAS) in Nov 2018, and also reunited JuA and HizbulAhrar with TTP this year. Heavy funds were given to the two setups and the rates of terrorism were substantially enhanced. In Sindh, MQM London has married itself with rural based Sindhi nationalist parties including SLA and its target killers as well as RAW agents are still active in Karachi. Current rates for suicide attacks and vehicle borne explosions are Rs. 10 million each, for IED, target killing Rs. one million each. The terrorists are paid monthly salaries and provided shelter, food and medical cover.

Joint Press Briefing – Nov 14, 2020

The DG ISPR Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi held a joint conference on Nov 14 in the wake of devastating firing and shelling by Indian forces across the LoC in Kashmir on Nov 14-15 in various sectors, causing extensive destruction and damage to civilian property. Scores of civilians and soldiers were also martyred and injured. One reason behind this madness was the sudden rise in clashes between Kashmiri Mujahideen and Indian forces in IOK and the latter suffering casualties. Ceasefire violations has become a routine for India ever since Modi took over power in June 2014. In 2020 alone, xx violations occurredacross the LoC and Working Boundary under a calculated design to exert pressure on Pakistan on multiple fronts.

Gen Babar and Qureshibrought out the state terrorism of India in comprehensive details and stated that a dossier is being handed over to the UN, OIC, P-5 and other international bodies to highlight Indian state terrorism against Pakistan and human rights violations in occupied Kashmir. While a neighboring collaborating country was mentioned, Kabul was not named; and Tehran was omitted. So were Washington, London and Tel Aviv, the silent backers of India.The massive bloodshed in Pakistan in the last 19 years couldn't be inflicted by India alone. It was and still is a joint effort. Silence must be broken and the whole truth spoken.

Devastations caused by the war

To avenge the deaths of less than 3000 Americans, millions of Muslims who had no hand in 9/11 were killed in the 19-year war on terror, millions were injured and millions displaced. Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Sudan, Somalia were destroyed and Pakistan profusely bled but terrorism instead of getting eliminated has spread all over the globe. Islam instead of getting discredited has expanded and flourished. The world instead of becoming safe has become more unsafe and the war continue to smolder and fester.

The US dual role

Despite being the most allied ally of USA, Pakistan has been crudely insulted, ridiculed, bashed and humiliated time and again by USA. It has been subjected to cruel drone war. On the other hand, the US went out of the way to bolster the economic, technological, military and nuclear capabilities of India and made rigorous efforts to make India the leading player in Afghanistan and policeman of Indo-Pacific region. Its biased policy has heavily tilted the military balance in favor of India, which has repeatedly threatened to break Pakistan into four parts. 

Pakistan’s myopic stance towards trouble makers

Magic spell of USA

A lot has been written on this subject and nothing is secret. The US has all along pursued highly discriminatory policy which disfavors Pakistan and favors India and Afghanistan. Pakistan is an ally in name only and in reality a target. The US will rest only when it has disabled Pakistan’s nuclear Pakistan, disrupted CPEC, and made Pakistan a satellite of India. If every Tom, Dick and Harry in Pakistan know about the motives of USA, how come the ones entrusted with the security of Pakistan are unaware of it?

Well-knowing its track record and open ended hostility, how come our successive leaders starting from Gen Musharraf have been bending over backwards to remain in the good books of the US. To earn its goodwill, Pakistan has been putting up with the hostility of India and the Afghan regime and have left no stone unturned to befriend them. Our rulers never shirked from doing more in response to the dictates of Washington even if their demands were against the national interest. The infatuation is so strong that human loss of 83,000 and financial loss of $ 126 billion doesn’t bring even a frown on their foreheads. The US has made use of its pawns Afghan regime and India and is wholly responsible for these huge losses.

One fails to understand as to what is the compulsion of our rulers to remain glued with USA. One may have reconciled with this strange behavior if the people also had similar inclinations. But the fact is that great majority of people detest USA and holds it responsible for their woes. Extraordinary tilt could be digested had the US provided security umbrella and helped Pakistan when it was splitting apart in 1971, or extended help when its assistance was needed the most;or made Pakistan economically self-reliant. These expectations by Pakistan which has been the most allied ally for 66 years and had put its security at risk twice to safeguard the US interests were not unrealistic. On the contrary, India never put its national interests in jeopardy to protect the US interests and had remained in the Soviet camp for 43 years.

With this mindset of blindly trusting USA, terrorism can never be eliminated. As such, the problem is not terrorism, the real problem is the weak willed leaders who irrationally feel comfortable and safe by remaining under the magic spell of USA.

Today the US needs Pakistan’s assistance and not vice versa since it can neither win the war in Afghanistan, nor stay there, or exit safely. Time has come to convey to Washington that if it needs its support in Afghan peace efforts, it will have to reciprocate by way of dismantling the terror infrastructure installed by RAW in Afghanistan and to help Pakistan in completing the border fencing.  

Kabul

What is hurtful is Islamabad’s stance of generosity towards Kabul when the latter has never reciprocated Pakistan's goodwill gestures and cooperation and has missed no opportunity to harm Pakistan. The regime is a puppet of the US and India and it follows their dictates obsequiously. By now after having collected all the evidence, we should have named it without any hesitation and tailored our future responses accordingly.The 1973-78 insurgency in Baluchistan was backed by RAW, KGB, KHAD. The Al-Zulfiqar terror organization was assisted by Kabul. In the ongoing war on terror, main base of operation for the covert war launched by multiple anti-Pakistan agencies is Afghanistan. The Baloch rebel leaders Balach Marri followed by BrahamdaghBugti had taken refuge in Kabul and had fomented terrorism in Baluchistan. Maulana Fazlullah after escaping from Swat in 2009 had taken refuge in Kunar and later became the head of TTP. After the clearance of FATA in 2015/16, all the leaders of TTP and the militants as well as IMU, ITM (Uighurs), Asian Tigers and other affiliates took refuge in Afghanistan and all are being patronized by NDS and RAW. While the Pak military has conclusive evidence of RAW’s involvement it also has concrete proofs of NDS involvement. It is high time that the ruling regime in Kabul is clearly told to dismantle the terror infrastructure of RAW-NDS, to close the Pakistan specific Indian Consulates involved in terrorism, and to hand over Pakistani terrorists residing in safe havens of Afghanistan.Pakistan’s assistance for Afghan peace should be made conditional to fulfilment of these demands.  

Iran

It is no secret that RAW has been using Iranian soil as an auxiliary base and used proxies to strike targets in Baluchistan, Makran Coast, Gwadar and Karachi. Serving Wing ComdKalbushanYadhav who had been arrested in March 2016 was deployed at Chahbahar in 2003 by Indian NSA AjitDoval. RAW has been making use of Indian Consulates in Seistan, Zahidan and Mashad for conducting covert operations. Given the changed alignments wherein Iran has gravitated away from India and has got closer to China, and the changed attitude of the Arab Gulf States towards Pakistan, Islamabad and Beijing should jointly impress upon Tehran to stop RAW’s meddlesome activities in Baluchistan from its soil. 

Will USA withdraw troops?

Outgoing President Donald Trump had signed a peace deal with the Taliban in February 2019 and had pledged to end the 19-year war and bring home all the troops by this Christmas. He will be in command till mid-day January 2021 after which he will hand over the baton to Joe Biden. It is to be seen whether Trump fulfils his promise or agrees to the proposal of partial withdrawal given by Pentagon. It is to be seen whether the new team of Biden-Kamal Harris pursues the same old Zionist-Pentagon driven militarist and materialist policies or bring a change to make the turbulent world peaceful. Indications are that Zionists will have their say. 

Since terrorism has a direct bearing on the security and integrity of the country, it is the military and not the civil leadership that should be more concerned. Instead of chasing the faceless enemy which amounts to chasing shadows, the military being the real power should exert decisive influence to break the magic charm and stop trusting and depending upon USA. Given the weak state of economy and host of issues, Pakistan can no more afford to indulge in this expensive war on terror and should urgently chalk out a strategy to pullout 180,000 troops from the combat zone and take steps to extinguish the fire of terrorism.