Removal of Afghan Border Check Posts

                                                         Sajjad Shaukat

 Since October 17, this year when Pakistan’s armed forces started the military operation, “Rah-i-Nijat” (Path to Deliverance), they have been rapidly achieving successes by destroying the strongholds of the Waziristan-based militants. In this regard, the Chief of the Inter-Services Public Relations, Maj-Gen. Athar Abbas indicated that within a few days, at least 137 militants have been killed and 18 soldiers have been martyred during the operation, while army troops also occupied the house of Hakimullah Mehsud, the Chief of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). But it is more alarming development against our country that scores of security check posts in Afghanistan side of Pak-Afghan border have been removed by the US commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal who leads NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Reports suggest that recently, Pakistan’s military leadership also took up the issue of removal of these security check posts with Gen. McChrystal when he called on Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.

Our security analysts have opined that it “is part of a plot by the US and Afghan commanders to remove the strategic security posts ahead of military operation launched by Pakistan against terrorists in South Waziristan Agency… an intriguing move aimed at different ends.”

It is most regrettable that our media did not take an appropriate notice of this dangerous move against the country. However let us analyse as to what aims, this intriguing move entails.

First of all, it is part of American double game with Islamabad, which itself is part of a conspiracy against our country. In this connection, some of the US high officials have been praising Pakistan’s military action against the insurgents of South Waziristan, while some of them have still been accusing our army for links with the Taliban militants. Gradually, they have been reviving all the dimensions of their previous blame game against Pakistan. Duality in the US approach could also be judged from the fact that since 9/11, Washington has sometimes cajoled Islamabad with military and economic aid, and sometimes, it has emphasized to do more against the militancy without bothering for any internal backlash inside our country such as suicide attacks and bombasts. In this connection, tough conditions of the Kerry-Lugar bill and those of American prospective military aid coupled with ignorance of the sacrifices of our armed forces during whole of the war on terror might be cited as an instance.

However, one of the sinister motives behind the removal of these security check posts across the Pak-Afghan border is to encourage infiltration of the insurgents in Afghanistan, which the American commanders there will justify to claim that all the key Al-Qaeda-related fighters and Taliban insurgents were present in FATA—getting support from Balochistan. Notably, in the recent past, while justifying drone attacks, the United States blames that the mountainous tribal area of Pakistan is a base for militant attacks on NATO troops in neighboring Afghanistan. In this respect, on October 1, Deputy Chief of the US Mission in Islamabad, Gerald Feierstein said, “The top leadership of the Taliban including Mullah Omar is based in Quetta and Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden is hiding in FATA.”

He further revealed that the US officials believed Quetta had become the control and command centre of the Taliban—Quetta-based Taliban Shura was actively planning to launch attacks on American and Afghan forces in Afghanistan.

Before this allegation, American Ambassador in Pakistan, Anne W Patterson also expressed similar thoughts. Besides, on September 27, 2009, The Sunday Times reported, “The United States is threatening to launch airstrikes on Mullah Omar and the Taliban leadership in the Pakistani city of Quetta…which they find sanctuary across the border from Afghanistan.”

On the other side, both Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Basit and ISPR spokesman, Maj-General Athar Abbas have clarified that there were no Taliban leaders in Quetta.

Nevertheless, the most dangerous aim of the US by removing Afghan border check posts from the side of Pakistan is to give clear way and free hand to the Afghanistan-based Taliban commanders in order to send large-scale reinforcements in South Waziristan. Thus America wants to sabotage the South Waziristan operation by putting Pakistan’s more soldiers’ lives at risk in the fight against militants in this difficult terrain of the area.

Apart from these sinister aims, the new move of vacating the Afghan border check posts includes some other anti-Pakistan designs. There is no doubt that the militants enter Pakistan from Afghanistan where India has established a number of secret training camps, and where its military personnel in collaboration with its secret agency, RAW have been imparting training to the youngsters, having connections with South Waziristan. By setting aside the atrocities of the Taliban insurgents such as hostage-takings, beheadings, and torture, Indian officials incite the local tribesmen by propagating that Pakistan’s armed forces are killing its own people. The main aim behind is to attract the innocent people, and to produce suicide bombers after brainwashing.

In this respect, an online website reported, “The new hatchery of producing female suicides bombers is being headed by Commander Maulvi Shamim at his Muddrassah in Laddha, located in South Wazirsitan. The Uzbak and Afghani women instructors are imparting Jehadi and suicide training to the innocent girls and women. Trainees include Mehsud, Punjabis and Sindhi women and girls.” They were being funded by foreign agency too. Apart from this nursery of suicide female bombers, houses in Sam Sarai, Baderzai and other places of South Waziristan Agency are also training girls and boys on similar lines. Reports suggest that the female suicide bomber who attacked the police station in Peshawar on October 16 was from the Muddrassah of Maulvi Shamim.

On October 13, 2009 a private TV channel also released a video in which the ringleader, Aqeel alias Dr Osman who was captured alive during a foiled terror-attempt on army’s General Headquarters (GHQ) on October 10 including other the terrorists has been shown getting training in guerrilla warfare in South Waziristan. He is also close fellow of the late Baitullah Mehsood, the former Chief of the TTP whose group had claimed responsibility for last year’s terror-attacks on several key installations of Lahore like the Pakistan Navy War College, FIA building, the Manawan Police Training Center and Rescue 15 building of the police including assault on the Sri Lankan cricket team.

Waziristan-based TTP which has connections in Afghanistan has also claimed responsibility for the terror-attacks, occurred in Pakistan within the last twenty dayd—especially targeting the security personnel. In this regard, ISPR Spokesman, Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas, Interior Minister Rehman Malik and other TV commentators have indicated Indian involvement behind the attack, remarking: “Hakimullah Mehsud, the new chief of the TTP and other terrorists are “the enemies of the state” and “are mercenaries who receive arms from Afghanistan to destabilize the country.”

Nonetheless, the South Waziristan Agency which shares a common border with Afghanistan is the epicenter of all the terrorist activities in Pakistan. Subversion in country’s major cities including Khyber, Bajaur, Orakzai and Mohmand agencies are plotted there with the support of Indian RAW which itself is being backed by the tactical help of the US and Israel.

Besides the Frontier Province and the Punjab, sporadic ambush attacks on the security forces, government installations and political leaders in Balochistan have also intensified. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Quereshi and other high officials have repeatedly been saying that Indian secret agency RAW and other foreign agencies have been sponsoring insurgency in Pakistan. As regards the recent suicide attack in Iran, Quereshi openly revealed that it was a conspiracy against Pak-Iranian ties. In this context, Tehran has blamed America and UK for backing the Jundullah, a militant group which has been fighting for a separate Balochistan. It has killed a number of Iranian nationals in the past.    

The fact of the matter is that Pakistan is the only nuclear country in the Islamic world. Hence, US, Israel and India are in collusion to weaken it by creating lawlessness for achieving their secret strategic interests.

Returning to our earlier discussion, removal of security check posts from the Pak-Afghan border is a plot against Pakistan. By this move, US wants to see perennial covert support to the insurgents of the Frontier Province and separatists of Balochistan as part of the unfinished agenda of Washington and its other strategic partners.

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations

Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com