(Article originally posted at the These Long Wars blog)
I’m going to link to the Dawn article, because let’s face it, nobody except state apparatuses are now reporting on Balochistan, because all independent media worth mentioning has been forced out by violence and intimidation. The Balochistan model of political control is being rolled out across Pakistan with varying degrees of political success.
I don’t know what I can say about the Waziristan attacks, besides maybe the state of Pakistan should stop using the former FATA districts as a launching ground for attacks into Afghanistan. That sort of observation feels redundant, but one would imagine that the milieu that feeds extremists and makes it easier for them to thrive there might also succour anti-state extremists.
What I can say about the Balochistan attacks besides that I think enough is enough with using the Frontier Corps (FC) for internal security. Up-arm and up-armour the Balochistan police and send them after the insurgents. That can be done if we give the Baloch people a stake in their future by creating as many jobs as there are households in Balochistan. The number of non-secessionist Baloch probably outnumbers the number of secessionists. However, their interest in breaking away would be neither here nor there if there were serious economic reasons for them to remain tied to Pakistan and the state did not predate on their resources. If Balochistan was treated as a normal province rather than a colony, enough residents would take care of the violent secessionists on their own. I think this insurgency, and over-extended internal security mission in Balochistan has gone on long enough. This is supposed to be the Fifth Baloch insurgency, and I’m not even sure if we are in the fifth or sixth phase of this Fifth Baloch insurgency.
I’m gonna have to lean on NFP’s views on how these conflicts in these socially marginal districts are now being fed and politicised by the larger mainstream, ultra-nationalistic polarisation.
https://twitter.com/NadeemfParacha/status/1316736696478769152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
You can read Dawn’s report on the attacks, here.
Well looks like we know what Moeed Yusuf will talk about, when he is on with Karan Thapar the next time.
Welcome to Brown Pundits! Would love to touch base offline if possible.
Two unrelated questions:
Can you share your thoughts on the expansion of Pakistani blasphemy laws to encroach on twelvers?
How do Pakistanis see the economic miracle in Bangladesh? Does this empower the classic liberals?
Who are the Indian proxies? Northern Alliance in Afghanistan might have been called proxies(Iranian/Indian but mostly Russian) but I am curious who are Indian proxies in Pakistan?
maybe the rump MQM?
Bhimroa, Pakistanis have since 2001 considered the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) that has ruled Afganistan since 2001, the Afghan National Army, Afghan Police, NDS (Afghan CIA) to be Indian proxies. They also see Tajikistan and Uzbekistan (maybe Turkmenistan) as Indian proxies. Probably Azerbaijan. Some Pakistanis see Iran as an Indian proxy too.Chinese see Vietnam, Bhutan and mostly still Nepal as an Indian proxies. Any country or faction in the world that likes India and wants to be India’s friend is seen by Pakistan as an Indian proxy. And *A LOT* of countries and groups around the world love India. Such as Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Loas, Australia, New Zealand, USA.