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Triangle of China, Pakistan, Iran & the OBOR are potently dangerous for world

Zafar Sahito
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Triangle of China, Pakistan, Iran & the OBOR are potently dangerous for world

This story starts from 1950, when plans were conceptualized for having a corridor from the Chinese border to Pakistan-occupied Balochistan and Sindh to their deep water ports Gwadar and Karachi into the Arabian Sea. In 1959 the construction of Karakoram Highway was carried out by China, and in 2002 when China began construction at Gwadar port in occupied Balochistan and completed it in 2006, China was just waiting for an opportunity to enter the region fully and get complete control of the coastal belt.

In 2011 when US-Pakistan relations went bad and a “disastrous year” was declared the alliance collapsed due to trust deficits and suspension of aid was announced. This situation continued over next year also, and finally it was in the year 2013 when China entered this region with a swag and a Memorandum Of Understanding on cooperation for long term plan was named– China-Pakistan Economic corridor (CPEC). The CPEC was conceptualized as a US$ 46 billion project that was a collection of infrastructure projects inked by two governments. In 2019 it touched US$ 62 billion and now it is a multi- billion investment project with the recent US$ 400 billion agreement between Iran and China wherein China would buy Iran’s crude oil for 25 years. This agreement is also part of “CPEC” because this pipeline will cross from occupied Sindh and Balochistan.

So before it was only the Arabian Sea through Gwadar and Karachi, but now various islands and the Persian Gulf, adjoining coastal belts and their various islands are also going into the hands of China.

Before going to this triangle of nexus let’s have a brief look on these three countries.

Expansionist China
Officially the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is a one party state led by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), best known as expansionist, autocratic and debt-trapping country. Political dissidents and human rights groups have often denounced and criticized the Chinese government for widespread human rights abuses, political repression, suppression of religious and ethnic minorities, censorship and mass surveillance. China has initiated the largest transcontinental infrastructure investment project in modern history known as the OBOR (One Belt One Road) formerly know as BRI / B&R (Belt and Road Initiative). Due to China’s policy of trapping nation states into a debt trap, its dubious diplomatic history and human rights violations by CCP, the whole world is concerned over OBOR being a form of neocolonialism.

Radical Iran
In 1979, the Islamic Republic of Iran established the “Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps” (IRGC) supporting Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas, PIG and PFLP-GC in Palestine while supporting Iraqi Shias militias too. In 1990 Iran’s links and support was reported for al-Qaeda and various Taliban groups.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei (right)

Pakistan
Pakistan was created by the British to serve their interests in the region by a fake two nation theory in 1947. The theocratic fascist nation has never respected real democracy, freedom of expression, freedom of organizations, association and speech. These fundamental human rights as declared by the UN’s charter of human rights have been denied since the creation of this unnatural state in the name of the federal government of Pakistan that continues to be dominated by Punjab / Pakistani military. Historical secular nations of Sindhi, Baloch people and Pashtuns remain in chained slavery and are suppressed though fascism, arbitrary arrests, abductions, enforced disappearances, inhuman state torture, illegal detentions, extra judicial killings and assassinations by state agencies and military to abstain the political struggle of these oppressed nations aimed at securing their secular, cultural identity, national independence and rights.

It is the Pakistani state that nourished Islamist extremism, terrorism and barbarism by hosting al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden for several years. Around 54 of the world’s top wanted terrorists enjoy safe paradise of Pakistan and 40 to 50 thousand Taliban fighters are still present under the shadow of Pakistani intelligence agencies.

Imran Khan (left), Prime Minister Pakistan with Xi Jinping (right), President China.
Imran Khan (left), Prime Minister Pakistan with Xi Jinping (right), President China.

CPEC projects details in Pakistan
Thar -I Project, Thar -II Project and coal mine, Thar Engro Coal Power Project, Matiari -Lahore Transmission Line, LPG pipe line from Gawadar to Nawabshah, Port Qasim Project, electric line from Karachi to Punjab, among others.

Hyderabad Chamber and Commerce Agreement with China 2018
Wind power 5 projects, nine lakh tonne fertilizer product (5 units in Sindh),
12 lakh acre agricultural land for buying of live stock and farming. Railway projects and highway projects. Karachi – 4 canal project worth billions of dollars. Port Qasim oil and gas storing facilities, biotechnology project, artillery joint ventures factory. These projects are just few examples.

The latest move came in 2019, when Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan visited China and signed a new deal of mega cities projects on twin islands of Sindh against the will of Sindhi nation. Imran Khan also signed a deal for financing of the controversial Basha Diamer Dam to control waters of the River Indus. These two deals are now part of the CPEC.

Why Fundamentalist Pakistan and radical Iran are chosen by the CCP?
Pakistan’s long-standing rivalry with India and Iran’s rivalry with Israel and America are the main reasons that CCP chose Pakistan and Iran, even as there are several other factors. Pakistan and Iran in their political and psychological essence are extremists and terrorist states because their foundations are based on the theory of Islamic nationhood. And this sectarianism had been used as launchpad of Islamist terrorism against neighboring countries like Afghanistan (despite presence of American troops) and India being the future leader of Asia and a strategic partner of the US.

Iran’s and Pakistan’s intelligence agencies and military trains and facilitates Islamist extremist groups and uses them freely to interfere in the internal matters of India, Israel, Afghanistan and the US. Entire world knows for sure that terrorist organizations like the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp, al-Qaeda-ISIS, Haqqani Network, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Jamaat-al-Dawa are sponsored by Iran and Pakistan to terrorize the entire humanity. After CCP investments in Pakistan and Iran these all militant groups are now in the hands of China. In fact, these terrorist groups are already being hired by the CCP to safeguard the “CPEC” and “OBOR”.

The other reason to serve Chinese president Mr. Xi Jinping’s ambitions to extend its economic and strategic influence across Eurasia, Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf are to get hold of key locations to confront western countries, specially when American warships are tangling regularly with the Iranian forces. Nearly 100 projects are cited in agreement of China-Iran deal, arranged and facilitated by Pakistan. Pakistan and Iran saving their corrupt skin are ready and willing to go down at any level and bringing CCP against emerging Indian democratic influence in South Asia and the new Arab- Israel friendship wave.

Both Pakistan and Iran are nuclear powers, but before their own national interests they have always played into other’s hands and now they are in the service of CCP. Freedom movements of occupied nations are going on in Pakistan and Iran, but due to the presence of China in the region, Pakistan and Iran can easily crush these nationalist freedom movements. CCP knows that USA and West dream of a new world order which will bring prosperity to humanity and for free democratic nations and so it wants to control these free nations. Expansionist China, radical Iran and Islamic fundamentalist Pakistan have formed a triangle and its existence would cause a great harm to global security and peace in the future as it’s much dangerous than a nuke and is a much bigger threat to world peace and security than that of North Korea.

Expansion of military assistance, training and intelligence sharing with Iran and Pakistan by the CCP is also alarming for America and India too. China is the world’s largest importer of oil and gas that will benefit from Iran as it gets 75% oil from abroad. This is one of the main reason that CCP is continuously supporting and lobbying for Iran and Pakistan in UNO and other platforms.

After Chinese Coronavirus biological attack on the world, whole world is suffering, millions have lost their loved ones, hunger is increasing day by day, world economy and job markets are going down, new wave of recession has struck. Yet due to its money power CCP is buying international organizations and influencing the UNO to its advantage.

Do you need security for coal, or elephants?

Shantanu Guha Ray
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Do you need security for coal, or elephants?

A proposed elephant reserve has become the proverbial Achilles’ heel for the Chhattisgarh government which is now faced with a peculiar dilemma: Is an elephant corridor more important than the coal buried deep under earth that India needs very badly?

The previous forest cover for an estimated 260 elephants was 400 square kilometres but now it has been expanded by the Bhupesh Baghel led Congress government five times to almost 2,000 square kilometres, the move triggering protests from tribals living in the vicinity of the forests of the Lemru Elephant Reserve (LER) near the Hasdeo river in the state.

The move came after some intense lobbying by activist groups who wanted the habitat for elephants to cover over 4,000 square kilometres even as a large section of villagers from five districts were against it. The villagers have offered proof that revenue villages have been included in the proposed plan besides many located on the highways. Honestly, it does not make any sense.

The villagers allege that the local administration is pushing them to give nod to the plan in the gram sabha—a mandatory proceeding in the scheduled areas. They villagers are ganging up against such a move. They are in no mood to give up, arguing the elephant project would displace them and also deprive them of the forest rights. Also, a ban on mining and industrial activities will deprive them from the growth opportunities.

The slugfest is turning out to be India’s biggest environmental debate. At the heart of it is the big buck question whether elephants need such a huge forest cover and, equally and importantly, would the state governments now completely stop hawking coal mines located in deep forests. 

The Indian government has always been at loggerheads with the country’s environmentalists who have demanded huge tracts of forest cover for the animals. Sadly in India, decisions relating to environmental issues are all political. Worse, political parties – when in power – try their level best to cancel or reverse decisions made by the previous governments. As a result, decisions about expanding or shrinking an animal habitat is always mired in controversies. And sadly, every time the commercial aspect of the cases — ranging from coal and iron ore mines to oil fields — are ignored.

A herd of elephant in a forest. (Representative photo)

So let’s check some figures here. The per capita electricity consumption in India is estimated at about 1200 units a year and there is a huge disparity between rural and urban areas. It is half of Brazil, one fourth of China and sixth of Russia among BRIC nations. On account of unreliability of much hyped renewable energy, coal is the most economical solution to ensure uninterrupted electricity to 1.3 billion population of India that has fifth largest coal reserves in the world. Also, India is the world’s second largest coal importer after China. 

Following protests from the Chhattisgarh government, the Union Ministry of Coal had to rework the list of mines to be auctioned for commercial mining and now 38 blocks will go under the hammer instead of the 41 mines announced earlier. It is important to note here that it has already made a dent in potential royalty revenues for Chhattisgarh where the Congress government has announced ambitious plans for the agriculture sector while it is failing to attract investments into mining and allied industries.

The revision in the list includes addition of three blocks — Dolesara, Jarekela, and Jharpalam-Tangarghat (in Chhattisgarh) — and withdrawal of five blocks in an ecologically sensitive zone near the Hasdeo River: Morga South, Fatehpur, Madanpur (North), Morga-II, and Sayang (in Chhattisgarh).

“Accordingly, 38 coal mines are offered for auction for commercial mining under 11th tranche of auction under the Coal Mining (Special Provisions) Act, 2015, and the first tranche of auction under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957,” the Ministry of Coal said in a statement.

Trucks ferrying coal from an open-pit coal mine. (Representative photo)

The Centre had started the coal mine auction — for commercial mining and sale by private companies — in June. The bidding terms were liberalised to attract foreign players, non-mining entities, and large miners. In May, it amended the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015, to simplify the auction process and attract significant investor interest.

In Chattisgarh, one side of the story is about forests and elephants. 

The other side revolves around the issue of companies operating coal mines for the state utilities in the area. Among those is the Adani group, which is a mine developer and operator (MDO) — it means the company is developing the mine for someone else and not for itself — in the region. There are close to 40 such contracts under the new generation model of outsourcing where different mining companies operate as MDO contractors for state-owned mining assets. The Ahmedabad-based Adani Group has won mining contracts from the governments of Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh and has a string of such operations in Chhattisgarh, which has one of the country’s largest coal deposits.

So let us evaluate what Adani is doing in Chhattisgarh. It has won the contracts legally, and is operating legally, there are no illegality issues. If coal has to be mined, it is natural for a company to get rid of trees from the zone and compensate with larger afforestation elsewhere. The coal block operated by Adani is for power generation companies of Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh government. Adani will not take the coal and sell it for commercial purposes. If private contractor Adani is present in Hasdeo Aranya it needs to be mentioned here that it is because of successive government’s decision to offer the mines to private firms to make most of the country’s nearly five billion tonnes of coal reserves. What is surprising is that the private sector is often pilloried in India by activists and politicians instead of state utilities. For example, the Kolkata-based PSU Coal India, which is the world’s large coal mining firm, also has massive operations in Chhattisgarh but faces no opposition from local activists advocating for Lemru Reserve.  

Herd of elephants crossing a forest road. (Representative photo)

Coal plays an important role in a country’s economy. In India, it accounts for close to half of freight revenues for Indian Railways and it keeps the tariff for passengers low. Also, state governments and local administration earns heavily from royalty and other levies from coal mining firm. For instance, mineral-rich Chhattisgarh alone earned over ₹Rs 14,000 crore as revenue from coal mining in the last five years. Also, mining activities generate huge employment since every direct job in the sector creates 10 more indirect jobs. Short sighted idea of increased area for elephant reserve will have an immense impact on Chhattisgarh economy in the long term as mineral rich districts such as Surguja, Korba and Surajpur in Chhattisgarh while lakhs of locals will lose their forest rights. 

So if the plans go through, mining will stop. 

The Hasdeo Aranya is a large forested corridor that stretches over 1500 kilometers through central India. No one knows why the government allowed this area to be mined for coal when it was a traditional hub of tribals and elephants. And also, no one knows why the forest cover for the elephants went up five times from 400 to 2000 square kilometres.

If genuine demands of forest covers are met, India will just not be able to mine any minerals from any of its forests. 

Consider this one. As per the global estimates, the home range for female Asian elephants can stretch up to 400 square kilometers and almost double that for a male. Unlike the African elephants which are generally savannah inhabitants, Asian elephants tend to travel through dense jungle dwellers. Central India holds 10% of India’s total population of about 27,000 wild elephants.

Now there are some who feel the decision could go horribly wrong and have raised their voices. Among them is Chhattisgarh Health & Rural Development Minister TS Singh Deo, a popular face of Congress in Chhattisgarh. Deo is openly advocating the cause of the villagers. He knows how the entire region of Sarguja had voted Congress in the 2018 state polls to end a 15 year-old BJP rule. Deo is not a greenhorn, he is a root man who helped the Congress party win all 14 seats of Sarguja, his own home. Deo is the titular maharaja of the erstwhile the Sarguja State with deep grass root reach. His stand against the government’s decision has also signaled that all is not well in Baghel government. The Congress party is already in turmoil in neighbouring state Madhya Pradesh where Jyotiraditya Scindia overturned Kamal Nath government to pave path for BJP.

“I will stand with the villagers and I know including the villages located far-away in the elephant reserve has no rationale and no technical logic,” Deo said in a telephonic interview. He said he has already organised as many as 20 Gram Sabhas where he interacted with the villagers to gauge their minds. “All were unanimous that the decision is wrong.” He said he openly told the villagers that they were free to take their own call to either side with the project or oppose it. Deo even assured the villagers that he would join if there was any agitation planned against the move of the state government to expand the forest cover.

“The villagers must be included in the reserve for their livelihood,” said Deo, adding the state government’s decision could soon blow up into a full fledged controversy.

After Deo’s vocal opposition, state forest minister Mohammed Akbar has mellowed down. He issued statements saying that locals will not have to leave their villages on account of Lemru Reserve and the state government will ensure sufficient availability of food and water in the protected areas. “But elephants constantly migrate in search of food and the state government cannot merely offer compensation for losses owing to the human-elephant hostility,” the minister said in a telephonic interview from Raipur.

India needs a genuine answer to its big environmental issue. The nation must decide what should come first: Elephants or Coal?

BLF releases July-Sep report, reiterates pledge to free Balochistan from Pak occupation

News Intervention Bureau
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BLF releases July-Sep report, reiterates pledge to free Balochistan from Pak occupation

The core reason for establishment of Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) has always been to reinstate the separate Baloch identity and regain motherland’s sovereignty from the occupier Pakistan. With its establishment, BLF, along with armed struggle, began to create political and ideological awareness about the Baloch nation and has endeavored to bring Baloch people from all walks of life together to join the armed struggle, so that the masses consciously, politically and ideologically get involved in the resistance. Because, the struggle for independence is impossible without the participation of masses.

On the fundamental principle of freedom for occupied Balochistan, BLF is educating the Baloch nation to be ideologically and politically aware. Ideologically motivated BLF fighters, along with armed resistance are expanding the independence struggle with political awareness across Balochistan.

Baloch nation is now destroying the occupying Pakistan state’s army and responding in a befitting manner to their parliamentarian tools, death squads, religious extremists including countering the occupying state’s propaganda machinery and its fake narrative.

Organization’s fundamental principle is to ensure vetting and educating BLF fighters enough so that the weapon in their hands must remain a weapon in the hands of a revolutionary and their steps may never sway defending motherland. 

Today, across the length and breadth of Pakistan-occupied Balochistan, BLF’s brave fighters are present on the ground with their revolutionary weapon in defense of their country against Pakistan’s regular army and other security forces. Certainly, fighting on various fronts at once against Pakistan Army, federalists, local agents, informers, death squads, drug dealers and religious extremists is difficult. But at every given moment, BLF fighters are sacrificing their lives and vigorously leading the Baloch national struggle on the principles of the organization towards the ultimate goal.

Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) is the embodiment of its martyrs and nation’s unaccounted for sacrifices and if God wills, the struggle, with the organization’s principles and values will soon reach the destination.

BLF activities are published by “Ashoob” with excerpts from the statements of BLF spokesperson Major Gwahram Baloch

During the third quarter of 2020, twenty (20) lethal attacks were carried out on Pakistani forces. More than sixty one (61) soldiers were killed and dozens more injured. BLF destroyed seven Pakistani military vehicles while eight BLF fighters embraced martyrdom defending their mother land.

Martyrs of Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF)

“We pay homage and offer tributes to martyrs Abdul Hameed, Sabir Baloch and Anwar Baloch. On July 5, during a journey in Gresha area of Khuzdar district, the Pakistani state backed death squad and the BLF fighters came face to face and a skirmish erupted in which three of our fighters were martyred,” the BLF said in its quarterly report for July-September 2020.

BLF revolutionaries Abdul Hameed, Sabir Baloch and Anwar Baloch attained martyrdom on July 5 during their fight with the Pakistani forces at Gresha in district Khudzar, Pakistan-occupied Balochistan (POB).

Martyr Lieutenant Abdul Hameed (alias Shahzeb is son of Noor Jan of Bedreng Gresha), Martyr Sarmachaar Sabir Ali Baloch (alias Muheem is son of Sawali of Gresha Gumbud) and Martyr Sarmachaar Anwar Baloch (alias Javed is son of Sharif of Mashkay, Kahndari). All three martyrs were serving in the BLF’s armed platform for Balochistan’s struggle for independence.
The BLF fighters were on their way from Loop area in Gresha when they were attacked by the Pakistani state backed death squad. During this clash, the other BLF revolutionaries managed to escape safely and also inflicted damage on the enemy.

The death squads are involved in robberies and killings across Balochistan. However, many of them have been identified in different areas and soon the BLF fighters will teach them a lesson for committing atrocities on the Baloch people under Pakistan Army’s instructions.

Second Lieutenant Zahoor Ahmed Baloch Martyred

“We pay homage to Zahoor Baloch one of our brave fighters who was martyred during a mission. On August 27, 2020 Second Lieutenant Zahoor Ahmed (alias Ishaq Baloch, son of Sabzal Baloch, resident of Gwash Awaran) was swept away in a flash flood due to heavy rains while returning from the mission, due to which he was  martyred. The martyred fighter has been carrying out his responsibilities from the platform of BLF since 2013, rose to the rank of Second Lieutenant and laid down his life for the defence of the land. Appreciating his services, the organization pledges to carry out its mission of independence (Azad Balochistan) and assures to achieve the ultimate goal,” BLF said in its quarterly report for July-September 2020.

Second Lieutenant Zahoor Baloch attained martyrdom on August 27, 2020.

Martyrdom of Muslim, Sikandar, Liaqat and Saadullah

On Friday, September 19, 2020 at Raaghey Kalan, BLF fighters and the occupying Pakistani Army came face to face that led to a two-way clash. In this clash, four BLF Fighters, Commander Muslim (son of Muhammad Hussain), Second Lieutenant Sikandar (son of Muhammad Ibrahim), Liaqat (son of Mulla Abdul Qadir), and Saadullah were martyred while fighting valiantly against the enemy army.

“We pay tribute to the martyrs who sacrificed their precious lives in the struggle for the independence of Balochistan. Their martyrdom came as the Pakistani military has been conducting military operations in the area for the past two weeks. A large-scale military operation was conducted in Raaghey, Gichak and surrounding areas. In this operation, violating the laws of war, the occupying Pakistani forces targeted the civilian population with gunship helicopters. Meanwhile, the homes of many ordinary Baloch had been set on fire and livestock have been looted,” BLF said in its quarterly report for July-September 2020.

Shaheed Muslim Baloch is the younger brother of martyred BLF commander Suleiman (alias Shayhaq) and is the nephew of BLF Chief Dr Allah Nazar. Shaheed Sikandar Baloch and Shaheed Liaqat are the nephews of Dr. Allah Nazar Baloch.

Shaheed Javed Baloch

Shaheed Javed Jan, alias Zubair Baloch (son of Muhammad Hasil, resident of Dasht Keel-Kaur) was injured in a road accident in the month of July but unfortunately could not recover and was martyred on July 11. Javed Jan had been fighting for the independence of Balochistan since 2016. Shaheed Javed Baloch was good at poetry along with being an armed revolutionary.

Martyr Javed Baloch was a gifted poet who used his pen along with the gun to fight for Balochistan’s independence

Shaheed Irfan and Noor Khan

On September 29, Captain Irfan (alias Imdad Baloch, son of Shaheed Ghulam Mustafa and resident of Konsh-Kalat), Second Lieutenant Noor Khan (alias Bramsh, son of Noor Bakhsh and resident of Khairabad) were martyred while fighting bravely with the enemy army in the mountain range of Mazanband in Kech district of Balochistan.

Gunship helicopters along with Pakistani ground forces conducted operations in the Mazanband mountain range while SSG commandos were also deployed.

Martyred BLF soldiers fought valiantly against the enemy in the areas of Sedan Pir and Gandhadar, killing more than fifteen Pakistani Army personnel and wounding many more.

Noor Khan Baloch (left) and Captain Irfan Baloch (right) of the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) were martyred in Mazanband, Pakistan-occupied Balochistan (POB) while fighting with the Pakistan Army.
Noor Khan Baloch (left) and Captain Irfan Baloch (right) of the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) were martyred in Mazanband, Pakistan-occupied Balochistan (POB) while fighting with the Pakistan Army.

State informer Munir Ahmed (son of Abdul Rashid and a resident of Tump) was also killed in this clash. Shaheed Captain Irfan and Shaheed Noor Khan had defeated the Pakistani soldiers several times on the battlefield before.

“We pay tributes to them for their martyrdom and pledge that the blood of the martyrs will turn into a free Balochistan,” BLF said in its quarterly report.

Logo of the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF)
Logo of the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF)

July 2020: BLF attacks on the occupying Pakistani force

12 July 2020 – Sniper attack on Pakistan military checkpost that killed one Pakistani military personnel. Fired several rockets and attacked at the camp with automatic weapons in Bulor area of Hoshaab, district Kech, Balochistan inflicting heavy causalities to the occupying forces.

14 July 2020 – Ambushed Pakistan military convoy which consisted of five military vehicles with rocket launchers and automatic weapons in Mok-e-Kandag area of Gichk, district Panjgur, Balochistan. More than twenty Pakistani military personnel were killed including an officer in this attack and all the military vehicles were destroyed.

19 July 2020 – Sniper attack on Pakistan military checkpost that killed one Pakistani military personnel. Fired several rockets and attack with automatic weapons in Goshanag area of Kolwah, district Awaran, Balochistan inflicting heavy causalities to the occupying forces.

25 July 2020 – Ambushed Pakistan military convoy consisting of two military vehicles with heavy and automatic weapons in Pidrak area of district Kech, Balochistan. Six military personnel were killed and two were injured in this attack.

30 July 2020 – Hurled two hand grenades at Pakistani military checkpost in Sultan Chowk, district Mastung, Balochistan due to which two military personnel were killed and several got injured.

Attacked Pakistan military checkpost with sniper rifle, and heavy weapons in Manguli area of Wadi Mashkay, district Awaran, Balochistan. Three military personnel were killed in this attack and one was injured.

30 July 2020 – Attacked Pakistani army patrolling team with automatic and heavy weapons in Nondra area of Jahoo, district Awaran, Balochistan. The attack took place as a group of ten ground military personnel were advancing towards Daraj Kaur (river). In the fierce ambush, four Pakistani army personnel were killed on the spot and two others were injured.

August 2020: BLF attacks on the occupying Pakistani force

2 August  2020 – Sniper attack on Pakistan military checkpost with heavy weapons in Shapkol area of Kolwah, district Awaran, Balochistan. Two military personnel were killed in this attack.

6 August  2020 – Fired two rockets on a Pakistan military checkpost in Jahoo area of district Awaran, Balochistan. Several military personnel were killed and injured as both the rockets landed on the military check-post.

Attacked Pakistan military check-post with sniper rifle and killed one military personnel in Bal Nigwar area of Dasht, district Kech, Balochistan.

Attacked the Pakistan military camp with rockets and heavy weapons in Mashkay Gwarjak area of district Awaran, Balochistan and inflicted heavy casualties on the occupying forces. After the attack, the occupying army’s combat helicopters also started flying but they did not find any success.

13 August 2020 – Sniper attack on Pakistan military checkpost that killed one military personnel in Dil Murad Damb area of Jahoo, district Awaran, Balochistan.

Attacked Pakistan military checkpost at water supply in Dandaar area of  district Kech, Balochistan with rockets and heavy weapons. Two rockets landed inside the checkpost inflicting heavy causalities to the occupying forces.

Attacked the Pakistan military camp with rockets and heavy weapons in Mastung district of Balochistan and inflicted heavy casualties on the occupying forces.

14 August 2020 – Skirmish erupted between Pakistan military and BLF fighters, which lasted for around an hour. BLF fighters fired several rockets and responded with heavy weapons. 11 Pakistani military personnel were killed and a number of others were injured in Hikaan area of Gishkaur, district Awaran, Balochistan.

Ambushed Pakistan military convoy consisting of 5 military vehicles with heavy and automatic weapons in Draaj Kaur area of Jaho, district Awaran, Balochistan. Five military personnel were killed and three were injured in this attack.

16 August 2020 – Sniper attack on Pakistan military checkpost that killed one military personnel in Thazina Damb area of Kharan, Balochistan.

26 August 2020 – Attacked Pakistan military checkpost with automatic and heavy weapons in Ziarath Dann area of Pirandar, district Awaran, Balochistan and inflicted heavy causalities to the occupying forces.

September 2020: BLF attacks on the occupying Pakistani force

3 September 2020 – Attacked Pakistan military convoy with a remote-controlled bomb in Zamuran, Puganzan area of Tehsil Bulaida, district Kech, Balochistan causing severe damage to one of the vehicles. Three military personnel were killed and four injured.

6 September 2020 – Attacked the Pakistan military camp with rockets and heavy weapons in Mashkay Nokjo area of district Awaran, Balochistan inflicting heavy casualties on the occupying forces. In response military fired several mortars in populated areas.

19 September 2020 – In Raaghey Kalan, BLF fighters and the occupying Pakistani Army came face to face that led to a two-way clash. 

In this clash, four BLF Fighters, Commander Muslim, Second Lieutenant Sikandar, Liaqat, and Saadullah were martyred while fighting valiantly against the enemy army.

“We pay tribute to the martyrs who sacrificed their precious lives in the struggle for the independence of Balochistan. Their martyrdom came as the Pakistani military has been conducting military operations in the area for the past two weeks. A large-scale military operation is conducted in Raaghey, Gichak and surrounding areas,” BLF said in its quarterly report.

During this operation, violating the laws of war, the occupying forces targeted the civilian population with gunship helicopters. Meanwhile, the homes of many ordinary Baloch were set on fire and livestock were looted.

22 September 2020 – Shaheed Javed Jan (alias Zubair Baloch son of Muhammad Hasil resident of Dasht Keel-kaur) was injured in a road accident in the month of July but unfortunately could not recover and was martyred on 11th July.

29 September 2020 – Capt. Irfan (alias Imdad Baloch) and Second Lieutenant Noor Khan (alias Bramsh) were martyred while fighting bravely with the enemy army in the mountain range of Mazanband in Kech district of Balochistan.

Pakistan is getting away with murder, FATF must act

Nilesh Kunwar
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Pakistan is getting away with murder, FATF must act

Even though the Financial Action Task Force [FATF] plenary virtual meeting to decide whether Pakistan should be excluded from the international terror financing watchdog’s ‘grey list’ is scheduled to be held from 21 to 23 October, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi already seems to be in a celebratory mood. Perhaps that’s why while addressing a public gathering in Multan last Saturday, he confidently announced that “very soon Pakistan will be on the ‘white list’ of the FATF.”

If what Qureshi said is true, then Islamabad needs to be congratulated for being able to exorcise the ghoul of terrorism that had been wreaking havoc both within Pakistan as well as in the neighbourhood for all these years. This would have also meant that Islamabad has ultimately been able to prevail over Rawalpindi to abandon its more than three decades old covert policy of nurturing terrorist groups like the Haqqani network and Lashkar-e-Taiba as ‘strategic assets’ for waging proxy wars against its neighbours. But since such a drastic turn of events seemed quite unlikely, Qureshi’s unbounded optimism wasn’t shared by many and in the end, the nay-sayers were the ones who were proved right.

Barely two days after Qureshi’s confident announcement, the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering [APG] in its first ‘Follow-Up Report on Mutual Evaluation of Pakistan’ stated that out of the 40 FATF recommendations, Pakistan was found to be “largely compliant” on nine parameters, “partially compliant” on 25 and “non-compliant” on four. So, since it was “fully complaint” only on one parameter, the APG obviously ruled that anti-money laundering [AML] and counter-terrorist financing [CTF] actions taken by Pakistan “are not yet sufficient to justify a re-rating” by FATF. Therefore, the timeline of “very soon” mentioned by Qureshi for making it to the FATF white-list would, at least for now, remain an undetermined variable.

Islamabad’s complaint of being a victim of terrorism is undoubtedly true and so, sympathising with the people of Pakistan who are facing the brunt of vicious terror attacks is but natural. However, without meaning to imply ‘serves them right’, it’s also necessary to highlight the fact that Pakistan is reaping the bitter harvest of its nearly four-decade old vile policy of nurturing terrorist groups for its own self-serving interests and Pakistan’s woes won’t end till this practice continues. Readers would recall that when asked during an interview given to Der Spiegel, “Why did you form militant underground groups to fight India in Kashmir?” Pakistan’s former President and ex-army chief Gen Pervez Musharraf’s nonchalantly replied “They (terrorist groups) were indeed formed.”

Gen. Pervez Musharraf, former Army Chief of Pakistan.
Gen. Pervez Musharraf, former President and Army Chief of Pakistan.

But while he acknowledged the military’s role in creating “underground groups to fight India in Kashmir,” Gen Musharraf tried to shift onus for this serious crime against humanity on the legislature by saying, “The government turned a blind eye because they wanted India to discuss Kashmir.” However, since these terrorist groups were created when Pakistan was under martial law with Gen Zia ul Haq as the dictator, the ‘government’ that Gen Musharraf so glibly accuses of having had “turned a blind eye” to their creation was none other than the Pakistan Army itself!

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, on the other hand, is busy peddling a sob-story with all the trappings of a magnificent Greek tragedy. His story goes thus: A devil incarnate [America] disguised as a virtuous Angel beguiles an innocent simpleton [named Pakistan] to join him in the fight against an evil entity which the devil identifies as Satan [Russia]. But once his dirty work is done, the devil goes home leaving the poor simpleton with an unmanageable horde of savages [terrorists] that the devil and simpleton had jointly created to defeat Satan. So, while the devil thrives, the savages run riot and make life hell for the poor simpleton and his countrymen. But the unkindest cut comes when the devil callously accuses the simpleton, who is fighting tooth and nail against these savages of “all hue and colour” and making immense sacrifices of “not doing enough” in this war!

So, there was nothing unusual in Khan showing no signs of remorse while admitting during a talk show at the US Institute of Peace in July last year, that “We had created these jihadi groups in the 80s. We had indoctrinated them in the idea of jihad, that foreign occupation in Afghanistan, it was a religious duty to fight them. So, all these groups, including Al-Qaeda, arrived in Pakistan.” He then had the audacity to blame Washington’s post 9/11 anti-terrorism policy for turning terrorist groups against the Pakistan Army by saying that these groups “who had closed ranks for the Pakistan Army because they were created by the Pakistan Army…turned against the Pakistan Army because Pakistan Army was then trying to neutralise them.”

What needs to be highlighted here is that when the Americans wanted ‘mujahideens’ to fight the Russians in Afghanistan in the early 80s, they didn’t have to point a gun at Gen Zia’s head- au contraire, the dictator was so blinded by the lucre of dollars that this Faustian deal would yield that he chose to disregard the numerous negative fallouts of turning Pakistan into a veritable breeding ground for spawning terrorists with a fundamentalist mindset.

So, when the Pakistan Army willingly allowed terrorism to flourish on its soil, why blame the whole world for the sorry state of affairs that subsequently gripped Pakistan? US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s remark that “You can’t keep snakes in your backyard and expect them only to bite your neighbours; you know, eventually those snakes are going to turn on whoever has them in the backyard” aptly sums up the flipside of Rawalpindi’s dangerous obsession of nurturing terrorists.

That even after being given one year at its disposal, Islamabad has only been able to fully comply with one parameter out of the 40 pointed out by FATF, clearly indicates the importance that Pakistan attaches to taking effective AML/CTF actions. Whereas its lackadaisical attitude should have been a matter of grave concern for the international community, but in a world where motivated agendas have replaced core human values of uprightness and integrity, Pakistan knows that on the FATF front there is no further downside.

The saddest part about combatting terror financing is that despite the most conclusive evidence being available, a country flagrantly involved in financing terrorism can escape being blacklisted if it is able to muster support of merely three out of the 39 nation strong FTF member states. So, with China and Turkey ready to extend support to Pakistan as a reward for Islamabad’s willingness to serve as a lackey of these countries, and Malaysia doing likewise just to remain in the good books of Turkey, where’s the need for Pakistan Army to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure that serves as its ‘strategic assets’?

Tailpiece: In 2019, while speaking at the United States Institute of Peace, Prime Minister Imran Khan admitted that “we still have about 30,000-40,000-armed people who have been trained and fought in some part of Afghanistan or Kashmir.” This revelation raises two questions- one, if Pakistan doesn’t provide safe sanctuary or sustenance to terrorists [as it claims], then how come it has such a mammoth congregation of armed terrorists with combat experienced on its soil? Two, even if we peg the number of these terrorists at 30,000 [the lower end of the figure band indicated by Khan] and fix the daily expenditure on their subsistence at a measly US$ 2 per person, the annual financial outlay on maintaining these terrorists would still amount to a whopping US$ 21.6 million (₹158.6 crore). FATF needs to ask Islamabad the source of such a princely sum of money!

FATF can maintain its credibility only by blacklisting Pakistan

Jaibans Singh
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FATF can maintain its credibility only by blacklisting Pakistan

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan, in the last few days, has become quite vocal in airing his deep concerns about the possible blacklisting of the country by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in its plenary meeting scheduled for 21-23 October, 2020. “If Pakistan is put on FATF’s blacklist, then like Iran, deals will end. No international financial institutions will deal with us. It will impact the Pakistani Rupee and when Rupee starts to fall, we do not know how much it will fall. We do not have foreign reserves to save the Rupee. When Rupee falls, everything will become costly–electricity, gas and oil. Once we are on the blacklist, our entire economy will be destroyed due to inflation,” Khan is reported to have stated in an interview given to a prominent news channel recently.

The statement and concern is more a product of political survival than a concern for the country. Being quite wary of the possibility of being blacklisted, Imran Khan is preparing his country for the worst and simultaneously trying to put the blame on India and his political opponents. “Who is trying to put us on the blacklist? It’s India. For two years, India has been trying to blacklist Pakistan by lobbying with the international community,” Khan is saying to everybody and anybody ready to listen to him. He is also voicing his concern about a hale and hearty Nawaz Sharif creating problems while sitting in exile in London and adding, for good measure, that the former premier is taking advantage of the humane act by his government in allowing him to leave the country for medical reasons.  Khan is also leveraging the situation to put pressure on the Senate of the country which is dominated by the opposition and has rejected some FATF related bills.

That things are not good for Pakistan is quite evident by the fact that the Asia Pacific Group (APG), which is the regional arm of the FATF, has retained Pakistan in the enhanced follow-up list on the premise that the country has failed to curb terror funding and money laundering. The APG has opined that Pakistan has completely failed to implement the FATF’s technical suggestions.

Notably, since coming on the FATF grey list in 2018, Pakistan has been given a number of deadlines to fulfill its commitments, improve transparency in financial dealings and take action on the financing of terrorism. Even in February 2020, FATF was quite vocal in its censure of Pakistan. Its press release dated February 21, expressed, “concerns about Pakistan’s failure to complete its action plan in line with the agreed timelines and in light of the terrorist financing risks emanating from the jurisdiction.”

Pakistan has done little since the February session of the FATF when it was again placed on the grey list instead of being blacklisted, as should have been the case. Whatever little has been done in matters concerning money laundering and tax evasion is with a distinct political bias directed against the political rivals of the ruling party like Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari.

Also in February 2020, in order to reduce pressure, the Pakistani government as directed by the Pakistan Army formulated a brazen plan of getting a lower court to convict the terrorist Hafiz Saeed for two terror crimes. The conviction coincided with the visit of UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres to Pakistan. The sentence held no consequence since it was liable for appeal in a higher court, but it was enough for the friends of Pakistan in the FATF (mainly China and Turkey) to ensure that the country continues in the grey list for another six months instead of being blacklisted. The February deadline, orchestrated by “good friend” China was supposed to be the last.

Blacklisting by the FATF is a devastating nightmare for Pakistan and yet the country is showing no inclination to mend its ways. There are two reasons behind this. The first is the confidence that its “friends in the organisation”  will bail it out yet again. Three out of the 36 votes in the organisation can keep it out of the blacklist and such support is available from China, Malaysia and Turkey. The second reason behind this confidence is the assurance that good friend China and some other Islamic nations will  come up in support should the blacklist sanctions be put in place. After all, the country is managing quite comfortably despite being on the grey list because of these friends.

In the meantime, Pakistan is working hard to pass new laws in compliance with its Anti-Money Laundering/ Countering Financing of Terror (AML/CFT) obligations and give its friends some leverage in the upcoming plenary session of FATF.

Pakistan has been able to ward off the FATF blacklist for too long now while failing to stand by its promises made to the organisation and to the world. Since the last plenary session in February there has been a firm conviction across the world that if Pakistan fails to comply by October, the global body will put the country in the ‘Black List’ along with North Korea and Iran.

As things stand, Pakistan is far behind in implementing the recommendations from FATF and is, as usual, taking superficial actions to avoid the blacklist, or better still, get its name cut from the grey list itself. It is hoped that FATF will take a firm and righteous stand this time and not allow Pakistan to blatantly steer itself off the hook yet again. If Pakistan succeeds in its nefarious designs then the very credibility of the international organisation will get jeopardised. India is directly affected by the terror activities that emanate from Pakistani soil and needs to move fast and strong if she wishes to check the malevolent designs of the neighbouring country.

Machhal Mela: Testimony of Army-Civil Bonhomie

Nilesh Kunwar
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Machhal Mela: Testimony of Army-Civil Bonhomie

Nestled in the upper reaches of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district, Machhal ‘bowl’ is remote area situated in close proximity to the Line of Control (LoC) with a number of small hamlets. Life here isn’t easy–while this entire area gets cut-off from the rest of the world due to extremely heavy snowfall during winters, Pakistan Army’s reprehensible policy of ceasefire violations and targeting civilian areas often results in death of innocent villagers and destruction of their property.

All this takes a heavy toll on the physical and mental wellbeing of the hapless residents. But, with the Indian Army deployed in this area stepping-in to help better the lot of locals, things are now looking up. While the army has always been extending a helping hand to its needy brethren from its own meagre resources, commencement of Project Sadbhavana has greatly enhanced the scope of such assistance and has helped in making a quantum improvement in the quality of life of the locals.

Over the years, 56 Rashtriya Rifles, which is located here has built an excellent rapport with the villagers and besides executing infrastructural improvement projects with local assistance, this unit of valiant Marathas has also been encouraging children and youth to engage in healthy sporting and activities. So, what started off as a small-scale experiment in organized outdoor activity more than a decade ago evoked such an enthusiastic response from local youth that since 2010, cricket and volleyball tournaments between teams representing different villages and even mohallas are held every year.

Indian Army’s Northern Command tweeted about the Machhal Mela. The annual sports and cultural event provides a good platform for the local Kashmiri youth to showcase their talent.

For the last one decade, prize distribution for these prestigious tournaments conducted under aegis of the Indian Army, along with other cultural events and amusement activities for small boys and girls have taken the shape of a grand event, which locals refer to as ‘Machhal Mela [fair]’. In the runup to this much-awaited event, a total of 21 teams representing various villages of Machhal bowl participated in Machhal Cricket Premier League and in a nail-biting finish, Tiger Sports, Dhudi defeated Royal Challengers to emerge as this year’s champion. In the annual Machhal Volleyball Premier League, a total of 10 teams clashed for the title and while Madin Mohalla Macchal won the tournament, Machhal Sports Team secured second position.

Just like in the past, Machhal Mela this year too was a grand affair which was attended by a about 1,500 locals- both young and old alike. Col. Pranay Pawar, Commanding Officer of 56 RR which organised Machhal Mela welcomed chief guest Maj Gen Amardeep Singh Aujla, GoC Vajra Division and the locals who had come to attend the event. This was followed by a welcome speech delivered by Master Shaukat Harray, a local teacher who conveyed the people’s gratitude to the army for readily extending all possible assistance to alleviate the problems being faced by villagers especially during severe winters.

Thereafter, the variety programme started with students from the local madrassa displaying their excellent musical abilities by singing a group song on the theme of nationalism. Not to be left behind, a group of school girls won the hearts of the audience with an impressive rendition of ‘Ae Watan’- a famous patriotic song which, going by the applause that followed, demonstrated that it was highly appreciated by the locals.

Another presentation that deserves special mention was a challenging medley of Hindi and Kashmiri music presented by Sabir Ahmed Mir. A resident of Mishri Bahi village with 95 percent eyesight disability, Sabir is a living testimony of the famous adage, ‘when there’s a will, there’s a way’, and his confident and amazing performance stole the audience’s heart and Sabir will certainly serve as a source of inspiration to others.

After an enthralling group dance by school girls on a Kashmiri song, games for young children from amongst the audience commenced. The crowds cheered the young boys trying to outrun each other while precariously balancing lemons placed on a spoon which was clenched between their teeth and when small girls competed with each other to win the race by being the first to reach the finish-line and eating one of the many jalebis that were strung across there.

An impressive march past by students of Machhal High School marching smartly to the tune of “Kadam-Kadam Badhae Ja” served as a befitting grand finale of events presented by the young boys and girls. Thereafter the versatile Marathas of 56 RR, dressed in their traditional attire regaled the locals with an impressive display of Zumba, lazim and acrobatics.   

In his address, the chief guest complimented the locals for fully cooperating with the army and gave out details of various projects that had been requested by them and were being undertaken by the army for improving the quality of life in far flung areas and remote villages. He also congratulated the participants for putting up such a great show and encouraged the winners by presenting them with prizes.

As the crowds dispersed and made their way home, the people could be seen stopping now and then to wish every army man they passed by with a loud “Jai Hind” or waving them goodbye and the personnel of 56 RR reciprocating with similar enthusiasm. From this spontaneous display of mutual affection one thing was clear- like elsewhere in J&K, the army-civil bonding in Machhal too was perfect!

BRAS attacks Pak convoy at Ormara, Pak Army officer among 15 killed

News Intervention Bureau
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BRAS attacks Pak convoy at Ormara, Pak Army officer among 15 killed

Baloch Sarmachaars (freedom fighters) attacked a convoy of Pakistani oil and gas exploration company OGDCL (Oil and Gas Development Company) on Thursday at Ormara and killed fifteen personnel including a Pakistan Army officer. BRAS (Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar) took responsibility of the Ormara attack and said in a media statement that companies such as OGDCL along with China are at the forefront in looting Baloch natural resources of Balochistan.

“The attack was carried on the exploitative corporation OGDCL’s convoy when it was on its way from Gwadar to Karachi under security of 128 and 133 wings of Pakistani Frontier Corps. In the attack 15 personnel, including an officer of Pakistani Army, were killed and several were injured,” Baloch Khan, BRAS spokesperson said in a media statement. BRAS is the umbrella organization of Balochistan’s four revolutionary Sarmachaar groups, Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), Baloch Republican Army (BRA) and Baloch Republican Guard (BRG).

BRAS Sarmachaars attacked the Pakistani convoy near Buzi Top in Ormara, (Ormada) which lies on the coastal highway between Gwadar and Karachi. The attack completely destroyed the convoy of Pakistani oil and gas exploration company OGDCL and all Pakistani security personnel deployed for the convoy’s security were killed by Baloch freedom fighters.

The BRAS spokesperson added that Pakistani forces are involved in the genocide of Baloch people, while, on the other hand Pakistani companies such as OGDCL continue to exploit Baloch resources as part of their strategy to strengthen their grip over Balochistan.

Despite being heavily guarded by Pakistan’s Frontier Corps the BRAS Sarmachaars (freedom fighters) attacked Pakistani convoy at Ormara and killed 15 personnel. (Photo: News Intervention)

“Despite several warnings the OGDCL continues to be involved in exploitative projects in Pasni, Gwadar, Kharan, Lasbela and Och areas of Balochistan. OGDCL has commenced several new projects of drilling for oil and gas in Balochistan. We have made it clear several times that the resources of Balochistan belong to Baloch nation and only Baloch nation has the right to decide about the use of these resources,” BRAS said in its statement.

“Baloch nation is fighting the war for its independence currently, and any organization or corporation, whether Pakistani or international, that deals with the occupying (Pakistani) forces will be dealt with iron fists and will be considered an enemy,” BRAS spokesperson said in his statement.

Baloch Khan, BRAS spokesperson warned all such companies including OGDCL to immediately halt its projects. “We also want to inform China that Baloch nation completely rejects all Chinese agreements with the Pakistani occupying forces and they stand null and void. BRAS will continue to unite the Baloch national forces to attain the freedom of Balochistan,” Baloch Khan said in his statement.

https://twitter.com/NewsIntervene/status/1316731500931346433
News Intervention was the first to tweet about BRAS attack on Pakistani convoy at Ormara.

Pakistan had forcefully occupied Balochistan on March 27, 1948 and Baloch people have been fighting for their independence ever since then. Pakistan Army and its intelligence agency ISI use the most brutal methods to suppress Balochistan’s freedom struggle. Over the last decade more than 40,000 Baloch people have either been forcefully abducted or killed and dumped. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is yet another instrument to plunder Balochistan’s natural resources, which the Baloch revolutionaries are opposing tooth and nail. The BRAS attack on Thursday at the OGDCL convoy is part of ongoing freedom struggle of the Baloch to defend their motherland.

Baloch revolutionaries who have galvanized Balochistan’s freedom struggle.

Imran Khan is riding Chinese bandwagon to suck India into a two front war

Hardeep Bedi
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Imran Khan is riding Chinese bandwagon to suck India into a two front war

Pakistan has maintained a diplomatic silence with respect to the tension between India and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). However, behind the curtain, it is quite pleased with the course of events and is egging China along while maintaining a poker face. The mask, however, comes down on numerous occasions when Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan lets loose his signature diatribe against India and metes out veiled threats of a nuclear escalation over the issue of Kashmir. Behind these innuendos lingers the attempt to pressure India with threat of a two-front war involving both China and Pakistan.

Post the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories Imran Khan went across the world, hat in hand, attempting to garner support for his anti-India crusade. He has berated even the United Nations for remaining quiet on the issue of atrocities against Muslims in India. The “Islam in danger card” is played by him blatantly to get support from the Muslim nations; but, he has not succeeded in his evil designs.

However, through his constant haranguing he seems to have been successful in convincing Chinese President Xi Jinping that the new status of Ladakh is against Chinese interests. He has also played the bogey of a possible Indian attempt to regain Gilgit-Baltistan to fuel Chinese insecurities with regard to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). This is one reason, among others, behind the aggressive posture that China has adopted in the Eastern Ladakh sector.

Multiple means are being applied by Pakistan to keep the two front war option alive. While the Pakistani prime minister does not go beyond  innuendos, retired generals and so-called defence experts of Pakistan are put to use to give direct warnings. A retired General of Pakistan, Lt General Asad Durrani, who has also been chief of the notorious Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has talked about a combined China-Pakistan effort against India on the Kashmir issue.

Pakistan is using many covert means to assist all weather friend China in the ongoing situation. It is quite obvious that Pakistan sponsored terrorism is all but over in Kashmir but the country is not willing to relent in its efforts and is using all means available to keep the terrorist pot boiling over there. Ceasefire violations are frequent and so are desperate bids to infiltrate terrorists. Innovative methods like use of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicle) to provide arms and ammunition to the small indoctrinated local cadre are being resorted to. Most of the weapons and equipment being thus transported is of Chinese origin. Frantic efforts are being made to reengineer violent disruptive activities like stone pelting with the larger aim of going back to the times of Hartals (strikes) and Bandhs (lockouts). The objective is to keep the Northern Command of the Indian Army, that is responsible for both Kashmir and Ladakh theatre, under constant strain on all fronts.

Apart from the foregoing, Pakistan is also providing assistance to China in the military as well as the psychological operations domains. Military assistance is forthcoming mainly in the form of sharing of intelligence. While China has all means for technological and electronic intelligence Pakistan assists with the provision of human intelligence as collected over time by the ISI. An article in The Print dated 11 August 2020, says that, “as per US intelligence, China had a much better understanding of Indian troop positions and movements ahead of the 15 June Galwan Clash in Ladakh. The assumption is that Pakistan had shared its intelligence on Indian Army with China, thereby making a valuable addition to Chinese operations.”

It is well known that China has blocked Twitter, though many over there access it through VPN. For its psychological operations in this sensitive domain, China is relying on “good friend” Pakistan. Many accounts emanating from Pakistan that were earlier operating in Urdu language have now converted to Chinese. In an article on the subject carried by the Hindu newspaper, an example has been given of one  such account, ‘xiuying637’, that was earlier run as ‘hinaarbi2.’ Though suspended now, it was tweeting information related to the Chinese military and the border clash. The information was in favour of China. “Many of the ‘Chinese’ accounts that mushroomed on the social media this summer and spread false information about the border clash with India have been traced to Pakistan, in what is believed to be a coordinated disinformation campaign aimed at India,” says Ananth Krishnan, the author of the aforementioned  article in the Hindu.

Thus, Imran Khan’s fascination with “bleeding India” continues as does his hallucination of sucking India into a two front war. He feels that such a situation would portray him as a strong leader and resurrect his failing political career. He is not fooling anyone, since his weak political position and dependence upon the Pakistan Army for his survival is known to all. Not surprisingly, now people like Farooq Abdullah have been incorporated in such evil machinations. It is not difficult to understand where his statements like “hope that Article 370 will be restored with Chinese help” are coming from.

India is not likely to be cowed down by such infantile tactics. The Northern Command of the Indian Army has proved beyond doubt that it is capable of meeting the twin challenge of Chinese aggression in Ladakh and increase in terrorist activity in Kashmir quite easily. India is well prepared for a two front war too, more importantly, the whole world backs India. The manner in which Imran Khan is manipulating China is a double edged sword that will ultimately fall upon him. The world is fed up with China; when the country goes down it will take Pakistan along. If Imran Khan does not relent from his war mongering and consistent threats of “consequences” he will end up with egg on his face as has happened so many times in the past.  

Balochistan: World must intervene to stop Pak atrocities

Gulzar Baloch
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Balochistan: World must intervene to stop Pak atrocities

Today’s Balochistan is the “hub” of human rights violations. Pakistan has occupied Baloch land and has a history of indulging in human rights violations across occupied Balochistan. And all proof of Pakistan’s grievous violations of Baloch rights can easily be traced everywhere across Balochistan. Victims of such heinous violations do not belong to a family, rather spread across entire communities.

The policy of arbitrary arrest and detention, unlawful and illegal abductions, kill and dump are not new to the region. Thousands of Baloch have gone missing and many still continue to be disappeared, and taken to unknown locations. Under the kill and dump policy many Baloch have lost their precious lives. While those who remain at undisclosed places are coping with severe physical and mental torture in torture cells.

Recently a mass graveyard was found in Khuzdar’s area at Tootak that had more than one hundred fifty dead bodies of missing persons inside it. The period of National Party government led by Doctor Abdul Malik Baloch between 2013 and 2015 ended with the throwing off of the dead bodies of Baloch students, engineers, doctors, masters and farmers in various parts of Balochistan. Even after National Party’s term ended the government continues with its massive human rights violations. Today, it’s at its peak. The establishment has brought a “speedy growth” in human rights violations.

With every passing day there’s evidence of the breach of human rights in Balochistan by security forces of Pakistan and it’s controlled groups like the Death Squads. The Pakistani security forces and Death Squads act on their own without any consideration to their own laws or any international law. For these people, laws have no meaning and their violations are never considered a crime or an offence by the Pakistani authorities. Whether it is security forces or the Death Squads they continue to breach the international laws of which Pakistan is a signatory. They commit human rights violations with having any mercy.

Balochistan after it’s forced occupation by Pakistan on March 27, 1948 is still witnessing the killing of its inhabitants at the hands of occupied forces. Basic fundamental rights given by Pakistan’s own constitution have been made conditional and strict punishments are doled out at the whims and fancies of security forces stationed in Balochistan.

Every corner of Balochistan is burning on account of human rights violations. Even forests are not left untouched and are burned. Mountains are bombarded and village after village are bulldozed. It’s really heartbreaking, when infants, kids and women face such cruel and inhuman punishments at the hands Pakistani security forces. Pakistan’s supreme court never listens and judgment delivered by the judges on issues of human rights violations in Balochistan are not given much value.

In this scenario, the occupied Baloch land needs help from international communities who hold themselves before the world as protector and guardian of human rights. Until and unless international communities intervene for the cause of safeguarding human rights abuses in Balochistan, the Pakistani security forces will not, at their own, halt their atrocities on Baloch people. The United Nations Organization (UNO) can play a vital role by sending special investigation teams under it’s own umbrella. Apart from the United Nations, other noble communities from the developed world need to change their policies about Balochistan. World should come up with some meaningful steps that can prove helpful in halting the human rights violations in Balochistan.

Islamist Pakistan is carrying out slow genocide of Sindhi Hindus

Zafar Sahito
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Islamist Pakistan is carrying out slow genocide of Sindhi Hindus

The story of killing Sindhi Hindus and vandalizing temples in Sindh starts from 712 AD, when Arabs attacked Sindh and Muhammad bin Qasim killed the last Hindu King, Raja Dahir Sen of Sindhudesh. Muhammad bin Qasim’s sole purpose was to loot gold from temples and the vast wealth of Sindh. After the conquest of Sindh, the Sindhi girls were taken to Arab countries and sold in the streets as slaves. All these atrocities are still going on in Sindh, rather they have increased since Pakistan was created in 1947.

Jinnah played the role of a puppet in the hands of British due to his ignorance and ego. He was instrumental in India’s partition on the basis of this fake two nation theory, and as a result an unnatural Pakistan was created on the world’s map. “Islamic Republic Of Pakistan”, means a country only for Pak (pure) people — only Muslims.

In 1947, the population of Sindhi Hindus was 12.14% and now that percentage has dropped to 1.85%. Militancy and sectarianism started from the beginning of Pakistan’s creation as ISI was created in 1948 and it kept on increasing with every passing year. It increased substantially from 1980, and since the 1990s a war is waged against Sindh and Sindhi people’s identity as “Sindhiat”.

Map of Sindhudesh in 700 AD.

In fact, Hindus are not minority but real owners of Sindh and descendants of the Indus civilization and Raja Dahir, our last Sindhi Hindu king of Sindhudesh. Sindhi (Hindus or Muslims) in Pakistan are often treated as second class citizens, they are systematically discriminated and dehumanized. In reality Sindh has been occupied by Punjab in the name of Pakistan and central government. Sindhi Hindus face more atrocities due to enmity of Pakistan with India and the radical Islamist ideology.

At the time of creation of Pakistan in 1947, there were 428 historical Hindu temples but now only 20 Hindu temples remain. As per one report of the All Pakistan Hindus Rights movement (PHRM), 95% of all Hindu temples in Pakistan have been converted to mosques or madrassas.

Recently within a year’s time, while world is fighting with China-COVID-19 Pakistani Islamist radical groups with support of military establishment and Pakistani government are continuously destroying, demolishing, and looting Hindu temples. In 2019 and in 2020 till now, five Hindu temples have been vandalized.

In 2020 the issue of a Hindu temple being constructed in Islamabad was highlighted, it made news as the first Hindu temple construction was announced in Islamabad. But what happened? No surprise as Islamist Jihadi mobs desecrated the temple construction site and the Islamic republic of Pakistan halted the construction of temple and referred the issue to the “Council of Islamic Ideology”.

The rise of Taliban-led insurgency in Pakistan has been an influential and increasing factor in persecution and discrimination against Sindh and especially Sindhi Hindus. The world’s top terrorist organizations and Jihadis like Hafiz Saeed and these so called “good Taliban” are free to establish madrassas in Sindh– a task that has been given to these culprits by the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI.

Several Hindu girls living in Pakistan are routinely kidnapped, forcibly converted and married to Muslims. Religious persecution especially forced conversions remains the foremost reason for migration of Hindus from Pakistan. Religious institutions like Bharchundi Sharif and Sarhandi Pir support forced conversions and are known to have support and protection of the ruling political parties of Sindh and Pakistan’s military establishment.

According to the National Commission of Justice and Peace and the Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC) around 1000 Sindhi Hindu women and Christian girls were converted to Islam and then forcibly married off to their abductors / rapists. This practice is reportedly increasing in the districts of Tharparkar, Umerkot and Mirpur Khas in Sindh and other parts of Pakistan. According to another report from the Movement for Solidarity and Peace, about 1,000 non-Muslim girls are converted to Islam each year in Pakistan. Amarnath Motumal, the vice chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan says that every month, an estimated 20 or more Sindhi Hindu girls are abducted and converted. Since 2014 till now 3800 legal cases of forced conversion were reported mostly involving Sindhi Hindu girls.

A decade back, 57 Hindus were forced to convert by their employer as his sales had dropped after Muslims started boycotting his eatable items as they were being prepared by Hindus. Since the impoverished Hindus had no other way to earn and needed to keep the job to survive, hence they converted to Islam. Recently an accident was reported from Sanghar, Sindh where 171 poor Sindhi Hindus were converted to Islam because of poverty and lack of basic human rights .

Everyday two or three cases are reported from the Thar desert area wherein Hindus are murdered or suicidal accidents are reported, which is nothing but ethnic cleansing of Sindhi Hindus, an engineered and planned slow genocide.

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