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Posted by Dr. Salman in OPINION, OPINION LEADER, Sajjad Shaukat on April 30th, 2018
With the support of some state actors and after its defeat by the Russian-led coalition of Iran, Iraq and Lebanon-based Hezbollah in Syria and Iraq, the Islamic State group (Also known as Daesh, ISIS and ISIL) is rapidly spreading its tentacles in South Asia.
It is also due to the dual policy of the US-led some Western powers, Israel and India that ISIS which is most dangerous terrorist group than Al-Qaeda has accelerated terrorism-related attacks in the US, Europe, Syria, Turkey, Egypt, Yemen, Iran, Iraq etc. and some African countries where besides Muslims, the outfit also targeted the Christians. Now, its tentacles have reached other regions of Asia, especially South Asia. Hence, the emergence of ISIS threat in South Asia needs attention.
In this context, the Daily Mail Online reported on February 22, 2015, “The terrifying rise of ISIS…tentacles now reach from Algeria to Afghanistan”.
According to online sources, “On January 26, 2015, Abu Muhammed al-Adnani chief spokesperson of the ISIS released an audio statement in which he declared the establishment of Wilayat Khorasan, a branch of the group encompassing Afghanistan, Pakistan and other nearby lands. Since then, Wilayat Khorasan has pursued a campaign of expansion and consolidation in the region, with most of its activity centring in eastern and southeastern Afghanistan.”
Some other online sources disclosed, “ISI activities in Afghanistan are known as IS’s Khorasan Province (ISKP) or an Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP).”
These sources revealed, “ISKP’s control of territory in Nangrahar reached its peak in summer 2015 when it became the dominant insurgent group in eight of the province’s 22 districts…Since then, the Taliban have fought to take back territory…ISKP then dug in through 2016 in all its remaining districts, that is, Achin, Kot and Nazyan in the south-eastern districts…as well as Deh Bala in the south-west…ISIL-KP maintained a presence in southern Nangarhar Province despite increased military operations carried out by the United States of America and the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces. SIL-KP continued its attacks against the civilian population and military and foreign military targets, and unverified local sources claimed that ISIL-KP reinforcements and recruitment continued…IS Khorasan gained its new strength through forging alliances with local sectarian pro-al-Qaeda or Taliban militant groups like Lashkar-e-Jhangvi al Alami (LeJ-A), Lashkar-e Islam (LeI), or disgruntled Taliban factions like Jundallah and Jamaat ul Ahrar (JuA), which have been active in the region for many years. It has also reportedly recruited operatives from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU). The success of this strategy is manifest in the geographical distribution of the recent attacks, which suggests a logistical penetration and influence that extends from Kabul and Jalalabad in Afghanistan to Quetta and Peshawar in neighbouring Pakistan.”
It is mentionable that the militants attacked the Holey Artisan Bakery (Restaurant) in the diplomatic district of Dhaka-capital of Bangladesh on July 2, 2016, and killed at least 20 hostages and two police officers. It included nine Italians, seven Japanese and one American. The ISIS claimed responsibility for the terror attack on the restaurant. Top officials of Bangladesh Government claimed the existence of ISIS in the country. ISIS has also accepted responsibility for several past attacks in Bangladesh.
Taking cognizance of various terrorism-related assaults in Afghanistan and Pakistan by the ISIL, as its terrorists also entered Pakistan from Afghanistan, Pakistan has, repeatedly, been expressing concerns over the growing unrest and violence in Afghanistan, reiterating support for a dialogue-based settlement of the Afghan issue. Islamabad is supportive of an Afghan dialogue, recognizing Taliban as a legitimate party in the conflict. Similar stance has been adopted by Russia, China, Iran and even the Central Asian Republics.
While Pakistan has expressed concerns over the emergence of ISIS in Afghanistan from where it has rapidly been spreading its terror-network in other South Asian countries. Islamabad’s worry is also shared by all the countries of the region. The dreaded terror outfit is being projected by the US, India, and some Western countries as a counterweight to Taliban. Therefore, the story of ISIS in Afghanistan is viewed carefully by the regional countries. Russia has repeatedly aired concerns about the possibility of tacit US approval or her inability to control the ISIS. Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai and few other Afghan leaders have also aired such apprehensions.
In this connection, a news item was published by all the leading dailies of Pakistan on October 8, 2017 regarding the statement of Afghanistan’s former Afghan President Karzai who, while dismissing criticism of Moscow’s ties with the Taliban and echoing Russian claims of American support to the ISIS terrorists, told Voice of America (VOC) that the United States has links with terrorist ‘Islamic State’, also known as Daesh…Daesh a tool of US…After it [the US] dropped the [mother of all] bomb on Afghanistan, it did not eliminate Daesh…the terrorist group has been supplied weapons by the United States forces…The US Army helicopters and army bases are being used to provide assistance to ISIS terrorists…I do not differentiate at all between Daesh and America…Reports of American assistance to the terrorists are coming from all over the country.” (It also includes Karzai’s revelations to VOC of April 20, 2017, and Newsweek’s report of the same day).
Particularly, based in Afghanistan, secret agencies such as American CIA, Indian RAW and Israeli Mossad are in collusion, and are using the ISIS in destabilizing Pakistan and Afghanistan as part of the double game of their countries. India and Israel want to prolong the stay of the US-led NATO troops in Afghanistan which has become the centre of their covert activities against Pakistan, Russia, China, and Iran. American President Trump is also doing the same in connivance with New Delhi and Tel Aviv. Now, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is the special target of these foreign intelligence agencies.
It is notable that Afghanistan-based Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and ISIS which are being backed by RAW, CIA and Mossad have claimed responsibility for several terror assaults inside Pakistan and Afghanistan, including the recent ones.
While, Pakistan has repeatedly pointed out ISIS’s involvement in anti-Pakistan violence and terrorism, and Islamabad has also shared credible information about the presence of ex-TTP militants inside Afghanistan, many of whom have switched sides to join ISIS. Therefore, Islamabad expects Afghanistan and the US-led forces (NATO) in Afghanistan to check the activities and projection of the ISKP activities.
Notably, ISIS has suffered heavily on accounts of its confrontation with the Afghan Taliban. Taliban have successfully undone ISIS influence from most of its controlled and contested areas. ISIS has lost most of its leadership in these fights and has been virtually squeezed to a few pockets of Nangarhar province. Taliban have been successful in checking ISKP’s (ISIS) ideological outreach by projecting the linkage of the brutal organization with extra-regional elements and thus discrediting them in the eyes of common Afghans. Most Afghans consider ISKP’s display of cruelties and inhuman behaviour against Afghan culture and do not buy group’s ideas of violence.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has successfully purged FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of militants through successful military operations Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasad. Lately, the country is focusing on improving border management and fencing project to address the cross-border movement of the terrorists. Pakistan is making concerted efforts to address extremism in all its forms. Recent steps by the country, including the nationwide agreed upon ‘Paigham-e-Pakistan’ (Message of Pakistan), are efforts to address the menace of terrorism and extremism on the ideological front.
In the same context, in the recent past, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa in Munich Security Conference was a polite reminder to the US-led international community, especially the Western powers of their past practices in the region.
We can conclude that reality of ISKP is well known to the regional powers. People like the ex-President Hamid Karzai and countries like Russia have been quite vocal in expressing their concerns about who supports ISKP? For ISKP in Afghanistan, the onus rests on the American- led NATO forces as well as on the Afghan National Unity Government (NUG) who need to carry out a reality check. America, India, and Israel should also abandon their double game with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, China and Russia in order to cope with the emergence of ISIS threat in South Asia.
Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is the author of the book: the US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations
Email: [email protected]
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Posted by aka in Brig (Retd).Asif Haroon Raja's Column, OPINION LEADER on April 10th, 2018
Muslims of East Bengal were the worst affected region during the British rule and had ardently yearned for Pakistan to free themselves from the cruel clutches of the Hindu-British combine that had turned them into serfs. Birth of Pakistan was seen as a miracle of the 20th century. Its survival under extreme odds was indeed a bigger miracle.
Pundit Nehru had eyes on East Pakistan (EP) soon after the birth of Pakistan. Links were established with Bengali political leaders to sow seeds of misgivings in their minds. India had a hand in the 1953 language issue which created bad blood between the people of East and West Pakistan. Influential Hindu minority in East Pakistan particularly Hindu intelligentsia, businessmen, teachers and professors were to play a key role in poisoning the minds of Bengalis. It took India 24 years to subvert the minds of Bengalis, who were in the vanguard of Pakistan movement, influence them to hate West Pakistan and to consider India as their friends.
Illegal occupation of two-thirds Kashmir by Indian military became a bone of contention between the two arch-rivals. After India failed to defeat and destroy Pakistan armed forces in the 1965 Indo-Pak war and all its ground and air attacks were grounded, it decided to break up Pakistan using an indirect strategy of initially weakening it from within through subversion and political destabilization and then using the military instrument. East Pakistan located 1000 miles away from West Pakistan with no ground linkage and surrounded by India from three directions was chosen as a target and for the achievement of its objective, Awami League leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was taken on board in 1963. His six-point plan was a route to secession.
The conspiracy to create Bangladesh was stepped up by newly created RAW in 1968. It helped Mujib and his team of conspirators to create Mukti Bahini, intensify Bengali nationalism and sweep the 1970 elections. A plane hijacking drama was engineered in January 1971 and the incident was used as an excuse to sever east-west air flights to isolate EP. Pakistan had to use long circuitous air route via Colombo to reach Dacca.
After the postponement of Constituent Assembly inaugural session at Dacca on 01 March 1971, Mujib adopted an uncompromising defiant posture. He let the Mukti Bahini carry out systematic slaughter and rape of West Pakistanis and pro-Pakistan Bengalis and created a state within the state. To stop his madness, Gen Yahya was impelled to launch a military operation, which led to province-wide civil war.
Isolated and outnumbered Pak forces recaptured all the lost towns and restored order in a record time of less than two months. Indira Gandhi had however made up her mind to dismember Pakistan and she not only thwarted all reconciliatory attempts made by Pakistan but tasked Gen Manekshaw to organize guerrilla war in EP and then wage a war. 59 training camps were established for 2, 80,000 rebels. Indian soldiers dressed in civil clothes assisted them.
It took India nine months to create desired conditions to launch its military in November 1971. The former Soviet Union that had signed Treaty of Friendship with India in August 1971 extended full support to India in this venture. USA, Israel, Afghanistan and some Arab countries supported India, while China was contained by Soviet forces. Since the separation of EP was a pre-planned international conspiracy, none came to the rescue of Pakistan when it was being brutally vivisected. On December 16, 1971, the eastern limb was severed and Bangladesh created.
RAW started making inroads in Sindh and in Baluchistan from 1973 onward by supporting Sindhu Desh movement and Baloch insurgency. It also maintained contacts with ANP in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Saraikis in Multan-Bahawalpur regions and Balwaristan movement in Gilgit-Baltistan. 5th columnists, nationalist politicians and disgruntled elements were also kept in the loop. The purpose was to stoke provincialism and induce the people of the smaller province to rebel against Punjab. The Baloch insurgency in the 1970s was fully supported by RAW. Likewise, Al-Zulfiqar was also extended full support from 1980 till 1994.
After 9/11, India got a real chance to carry out yet another 1971 surgical operation. This time a new band of conspirators ganged up with India to weaken Pakistan internally through sabotage, subversion and propaganda, discredit, isolate and denuclearize it and then further fragment it into four parts. Operation Blue Tulsi launched by the adversaries in 1994 to disable Pakistan’s nuclear program was given a fillip through the war on terror to bleed Pakistan. This was reinforced by fifth generation war to demonize Pakistan and its premier institutions.
The conspirators used Afghanistan as the base of operation and started weaving a web around Pakistan in 2002 to destabilize it and economically weaken it through covert operations. In the last 15 years, their proxies have inflicted 75,000 human casualties and caused an economic loss of $123 billion. The sold-out media has helped in polarizing the political parties, dividing the society, demonising the incumbent government and creating uncertainty. Their exterior manoeuvre has isolated Pakistan and spoilt its image despite Pak military’s outstanding performance in the war on terror.
‘Get Pakistan’ operation assumed urgency after the inauguration of CPEC in 2015 which has all the ingredients to make Pakistan socially integrated, politically stable, economically and militarily strong and self-reliant. The conspirators have now become desperate to either scuttle CPEC or else dismember Pakistan.
The conspirators have thus far not been able to achieve their sinister objectives despite inflicting thousands of cuts on the body of Pakistan and its people. The bloody operation has not reached its logical end due to nuclear deterrence and Herculean resistance put up by Pakistan armed forces, ISI, and the people.
India-US defence relations in recent years have moved along an upward trajectory. After the US signed the civil nuclear deal signed in 2008 and gave India access to Nuclear Suppliers Group, the two countries signed Logistics Exchange Memorandum, Maritime agreement and Strategic Communications agreement in 2015, which were China and Pakistan specific. On December 8, 2016, USA designated India as its major defence partner with a view to expanding bilateral defence cooperation between both nations. This was announced by visiting US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter in Delhi. The designation has placed India among the closest allies and partners of US.
Encouraged by the USA, India has subjected Pakistan to multi-dimensional overt and covert wars as under:
Since August 2017, Pakistan has been in the eye of the storm in the US. President Trump and his administration have been on a rampage to punish Pakistan for the US own failures in Afghanistan, constantly portraying it as a security state harbouring extremists and terrorists. The US is hurling warnings and threats to Pakistan to dismantle alleged safe havens of Haqqani network and Afghan Taliban on its soil and to help the US in winning war in Afghanistan. No amount of explanations has mellowed the anger of Trump administration and it is hell-bent to penalise Pakistan for its uncommitted sins. The allegations made on the country are baseless and mischievous and at best, questionable. The US has failed to provide proofs to substantiate their accusations.
After putting Pakistan on notice and suspending $ 900 million close support fund, the US then decided to put Pakistan in the grey list of countries financing terrorist groups and then pave the way to blacklist it. Pakistan was accused by the US of non-compliance of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) rules and regulations on terrorism financing.
The joint motion moved by USA and UK in the FATF meeting last March was thwarted by China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Russia. Pakistan has gained a temporary reprieve for next three months because of several steps it had taken to control money laundering in the last few months and its impressive results achieved in controlling terrorism. Even Pakistan’s closest friends like China and the Gulf States were finding it difficult to defend Pakistan on the issue of terrorism as was evident in last FATF meeting where the great majority of 37 members had voted against Pakistan.
Suspension of military aid by the US surprisingly did not come as a shock to Pakistan’s civil and military leadership. On the contrary, US got a kick in the teeth when Pakistan reacted calmly, calling the US a friend who always betrays. The US was told that Pakistan doesn’t need US aid but wants its sacrifices and achievements in the war on terror to be acknowledged. Pakistan has made it clear that it hasn’t spared any terror group and all terror groups are now based in Afghanistan.
While Pakistan has flushed out all the terrorist groups in FATA and settled areas of KP, in Afghanistan, there are 21 terrorist groups and the latest addition is Daesh (Khurasan chapter). Sanctuaries of Pakistan focussed TTP, Jamaat-e-Ahrar, Lashkar-e-Islam are well-known and communicated to the Afghan government and Resolute Support Group Commander. The US has not eliminated any or has helped Pakistan in fencing the western border, or in extraditing the Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan since 1979 that have now become a security hazard. Resolution of these three aspects will greatly resolve the issue of illegal cross-border movement and terrorism and will restore peace in Af-Pak region. Sadly! Peace in Afghanistan goes against the imperialist interests of USA or India.
They say “every dark cloud has a silver lining”. In its 70-year turbulent history, Pakistan has been continuously subjected to conspiracies. Ongoing conspiracy woven in 2001 is much more dangerous than the 1971 international conspiracy. There is a reason to believe that the political imbroglio which is enfeebling the economy is foreign abetted. Although this country is engulfed by a few hydra-headed problems and has been labelled as a failing state, its resilience has been a prominent feature of these seven decades of existence. Prophets of doom had predicted that Pakistan will not exist beyond 2017. Therefore its survival amidst all the speculations is by far its biggest success. Undoubtedly, Pakistan will weather the storm and will come out stronger than before.
The writer is a retired Brig, war veteran, defence, security and political analyst, columnist, Vice Chairman Thinkers Forum Pakistan, Director Measac Research Centre. [email protected]
Posted by Billa in OPINION LEADER, Sajjad Shaukat on March 13th, 2018
Like his other political follies, the US President Donald Trump’s announcement of the ‘trade wars’ has started a new debate in the world regarding a prospective global trade war. So far, much has been said and written by various world leaders and analysts. But, we should know that when we analyze some issue of international affairs, we should also take note of the interrelated developments to reach the conclusion. In these terms, there is a co-relationship of the global trade war, New Cold War and terrorism, which needs an appropriate assessment.
In this regard, on March 1, this year, President Trump initiated a major global trade with countries around the world after he announced his plan to impose a 25 percent tariff on all steel imports and a 10 percent tariff on all aluminium imports into the USA. Next day, he said in a Twitter-statement: “When a country (USA) is losing many billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with, trade wars are good, and easy to win.”
In another Twitter post on March 3, Trump warned: “If the E.U. wants to further increase their already massive tariffs and barriers on U.S. companies doing business there, we will simply apply a Tax on their Cars which freely pour into the U.S. They make it impossible for our cars (and more) to sell there. Big trade imbalance!”
Over Trump’s controversial announcement of tariffs on steel and aluminium, Zhang Yesui, a spokesperson for China’s National People’s Congress warned on March 4, 2018, that it does not want a trade war with the US, but will not sit idly by if its economy is hurt. China would take “necessary measures” if its interests were hurt.
Several major trading partners of the US such as EU and Japan have said that they might respond to the US tariffs with direct action. Reportedly, in retaliation, EU trade chiefs have been considering countermeasures—slapping 25% tariffs on around $3.5bn of imports from the US-targeting iconic US exports including Levi’s jeans, Harley-Davidson motorbikes and Bourbon whisky, if the United States followed through on President Trump’s plan to impose penalties on imported steel and aluminum, raising the specter of a trade war. America’s major allies such as Britain and France have also denounced Trump’s move.
Even Trump prodded his NAFTA partners, 11 nations gathered in Chile to sign a landmark Asia-Pacific trade pact, one that Trump withdrew from on his first day in office last year.
Brazil, Mexico and Japan have said that they would consider retaliatory steps if President Trump pressed ahead with his plan in the coming days.
On March 7, this year, European leaders stated that they did not want to trigger a wider trade dispute with the US, emphasizing upon President Trump to reconsider his decision. The President of the European Council stated in a tweet that trade wars were “bad and easy to lose”.
But, by setting aside the domestic criticism, the resignation of his chief economic advisor Gary Cohn who supports free trade and opposition from American close allies, President Donald Trump signed order about an increase in metals tariff plan.
Although President Trump exempted Canada and Mexico from tariff-barriers, but he remained firm on his trade moves regarding other countries, and stated on March 8, 2018: The best outcome would for companies to move their mills and smelters to the United States…domestic metals production was vital to national security. Flanked by steel and aluminium workers, Trump added: “If you don’t want to pay tax, bring your plant to the USA.”
In this respect, Cecilia Malmstrom, European Union commissioner for trade remarked: “In the eyes of the EU, “the motivation of the U.S. is an economic safeguard measure in disguise, not a national security measure…That means the EU is entitled to make use of a WTO safeguard agreement to rebalance benefits that we have given to the U.S. in the past.”
While, differences have already existed between the US and Europe on various trade matters— bilateral and multinational trade agreements like the TPP which Trump abandoned, including the NAFTA and WTO, at this critical juncture, President Trump has triggered an all-out trade war with his close friends and the rival countries.
Meanwhile, the European Union and Japan urged the United States in a meeting at the Brussels on March 10, this year to grant them exemptions from metal import tariffs, with Tokyo calling for “calm-headed behaviour” in a dispute that threatens to spiral into a trade war. US Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer met with his EU and Japanese counterparts, but the meetings offered little new clarity amid fears of a global trade war.
On the same day, in an interview at Brussels, French Trade Secretary Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne warned by saying: The US president risks igniting a trade war…but insisted that his strategy would backfire.”
An ally of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel Norbert Röttgen who is the head of the foreign affairs committee of the lower house of Germany’s Parliament stated at the conference in Brussels that the United States was “the steward, the leader, of establishing, of developing a system of international relations…Now we have a different approach.”
However, initiation of the present global trade war cannot be seen in isolation, it has an interrelationship with the New Cold War, irresponsible statements of the US President Donald Trump, his anti-Muslim moves, and various related developments in the world and terrorism-related attacks, which are part of the double game and secret strategy of Israel who is in collaboration with the President Trump, American CIA, FBI and Islamic State group (Also known as Daesh, ISIS, ISIL) to seek revenge against the Muslims and Russia at the cost of loyalist Americans, including Western countries, especially those of Europe.
During the tenure of the President Barack Obama, New Cold War had already started between the United States and Russia, when his top officials accused Moscow of backing insurgency in Ukraine. It accelerated when Russia opposed US intentions to deploy a national missile defence system (NMD) in Europe and the expansion of NATO towards Eastern Europe. Against this backdrop, Russian President Vladimir Putin had openly stated that his country was returning to its Soviet-era practices.
The New Cold War intensified, when in September 2015, Russian-led coalition of Iran, Iraq, the Syrian army-the National Defense Forces (NDF) and Lebanon-based Hezbollah started breaking the backbone of the ISIS terrorists, Al-Qaeda’s Al-Nusra Front and the rebels in Syria and Iraq. Russian-led alliance thwarted the attempts of the US-led some Western countries who wanted to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government to obtain the aims of a greater Israel as part of the double game.
Israeli Mossad which was already having clandestine contact with the ISIS directed this outfit to plan the November 13 (2015) terror attacks in Paris in connivance with the French home-grown militants. Similarly, when Russian-led forces began retaking many cities from the control of these insurgents, on the other side, agents of Mossad who were in collaboration with the CIA sympathizers and the ISIL militants arranged various sorts of terror assaults in Europe and the US.
Through all these false flag terror attacks which occurred since 2015, the US and Israel wanted to obtain their covert aims against Russia and the Muslims. Mossad had also provided the US President Donald Trump with an opportunity to manipulate various terror assaults of Europe and America to win the US presidential election and to reunite America and Europe, as a rift was created between America and its Western allies, especially Europe on a number of issues, including NATO. And, President Trump had left no stone unturned in implementing anti-Muslim policies, while speaking openly against the Muslims and Syrian immigrants. Trump had started exaggerating the so-called threat of Islamophobia, while, some incidents were not linked to ISIS, but were the result of self-radicalization of the individuals.
President Trump first introduced the screening process during the election campaign on a pledge to indefinitely ban the Muslims from entering the United States—his campaign aides later tried to finesse as a broader policy aimed at implementing “extreme vetting” for immigrants from certain countries. As president, he introduced a ban on arrivals to the US from a number of mainly-Muslim countries.
America’s Western partners, especially European countries had strongly condemned Trump’s travel ban on the Muslim countries, as discriminatory and violations of human rights.
It is also of particular attention that since the fundamentalist party BJP led by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in India, it has been implementing anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan agenda. Encouraged by the BJP, assaults on Muslims, Christians and other minorities by the Hindu extremist parties might be cited as an instance. India which has a strategic partnership with Israel has perennially been manipulating the double game of the US-led West regarding world phenomena of terrorism in connection with Pakistan and Afghanistan.
In wake of Modi’s aggressive diplomacy, India has continued shelling in Pakistani side of Kashmir which remains a nuclear flashpoint between both the neighbouring countries.
Emboldened by President Trump, both Tel Aviv and New Delhi have been equating the ‘wars of liberation’ in Palestine and Kashmir with terrorism. Their main purpose is to manipulate the New Cold War between the US and Russia so as to divert the attention of the West from their own state terrorism which continues unabated on the occupying territories of Kashmir and Palestine while employing delaying tactics in the solution of these issues.
Besides, Trump’s strong backing of the NATO-like alliance by the Saudi Arabia—the Sunni-countries against Iran and accusing Tehran of promoting terrorism and motivating religious extremism among the Muslims and Christians, Jews and Hindus show his clear links with Israel and India.
Particularly, President Trump’s Israeli connections were undoubtedly proved on December 6, last year when he officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, reversing nearly seven decades of American foreign policy and setting in motion a plan to move the United States Embassy from Tel Aviv to the fiercely contested Holy City.
America’s Western allies and even the pro-US Islamic counties have rejected Trump’s move, which reversed decades of US neutrality on the status of Jerusalem.
Undoubtedly, angry elements within the Muslims countries, especially in the pro-Arab states may react against America and its interests in the form of terrorism and other violent actions. Trump has also provided the terrorist outfits like ISIS new ammunition for recruitment of militants and to radicalize the Muslims in the US and other Western countries. Trump’s decision offered the extremist groups a valuable opportunity to capitalise on anti-US sentiment. Particularly, it could also increase the domestic extremism in the US.
To what extent President Trump wants to obtain Israeli illegitimate goals at the cost of Muslims and the patriot Americans could be judged from the terrorism-related assaults which occurred in the Spanish city of Barcelona on August 17, 2017, and in her town of Cambrils on August 18, 2017. After condemning the terror attacks and offering US assistance to Spain, the US President Donald Trump suggested “fighting terrorism by executing Muslims with bullets dipped in pigs blood.”
Trump whose character has emerged as a political terrorist is not only fueling racism between the Muslims and Christians but also between the black people and the white people, as noted inside America.
It is mentionable that since the occupation of Afghanistan by the US-led NATO forces, the country has become centre of the intelligence agencies such as American CIA, Indian RAW and Israeli Mossad which are in connivance to obtain the covert designs of their countries and some Western countries against Russia, China and Pakistan, including Iran.
Under the cover of fighting terrorism, these foreign agencies which are also in collaboration with Afghan intelligence agency, National Directorate of Security (NDS) support the militants of ISIL and Afghanistan-based Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), including their linked outfits which have been conducting terror-assaults in Afghanistan and Pakistan as part of the double game of the US-led countries. Besides, these terrorist groups are weakening Tibetan regions of China and Iranian Sistan-Baluchistan through subversive activities.
America, India and puppet rulers of Afghanistan shift the blame game of terror assaults in Afghanistan towards Pakistan. The US has also accused Iran and Russia of assisting the Taliban in Afghanistan. The main purpose of Washington is not only to pacify their people and justify the unending war in Afghanistan but also to fulfil the secret strategic designs against Russia, China, Pakistan and Iran.
In this connection, a news item was published by all the leading dailies of Pakistan on October 8, 2017 about the statement of Afghanistan’s Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai who, while dismissing criticism of Moscow’s ties with the Taliban and echoing Russian claims of American support to the ISIS terrorists, told Voice of America (VOC) that the “United States has links with terrorist ‘Islamic State’, also known as Daesh…Daesh a tool of US…After it [the US] dropped the [mother of all] bomb on Afghanistan, it did not eliminate Daesh…the terrorist group has been supplied weapons by the United States forces…The US Army helicopters and army bases are being used to provide assistance to ISIS terrorists…I do not differentiate at all between Daesh and America…Reports of American assistance to the terrorists are coming from all over the country.” (It also includes Karzai’s revelations to VOC of April 20, 2017, and Newsweek’s report of the same day).
Likewise, Russian TV channel, Russia Today (RT) reported on September 24, 2017: “The Russian Ministry of Defense has released aerial images which they say show US Army special forces equipment north of the town of Deir er-Zor, where ISIS militants are deployed. US Army special units provide free passage for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) through the battle formations of Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) terrorists…Despite that the US strongholds being organized around them…This could mean that the US military staff feel absolutely safe in the area which is held by the terrorists…All of the images were taken from September 8 to 12. The photos show several Cougar infantry mobility vehicles and Hummer armoured vehicles of the US Army Special Forces, according to the Russian MoD data…In this case, securing IS assistance for an unopposed advance of US-backed SDF forces could enable the SDF, widely seen as a US proxy, to seize strategically important (and oil-rich) territory in Deir Ez-Zor that otherwise would soon be retaken by rapidly advancing Syrian Army. If so this once again will raise questions as to what the true purpose of US forces-purportedly in Syria to fight IS-actually is. Earlier in September, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov accused the SDF of collusion with ISIS terrorists.SDF militants work to the same objectives as IS terrorists.”
Notably, Pakistan’s Armed Forces have successfully broken the backbone of the foreign-backed terrorists by the military operations Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasaad which have also been extended to other parts of the country, including Balochistan province and Karachi. Army and top intelligence agency ISI have broken the network of these terrorist groups by capturing several militants while thwarting a number of terror attempts. Peace has been restored in various regions of Pakistan, including Karachi and Balochistan.
But, these foreign elements have, again, started terror attacks in Balochistan and other regions of the country which show that the US-led India, Afghanistan and Israel want to weaken Pakistan and to damage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Since Pakistan became the only declared nuclear country in the Islamic World, the United States, India and Israel started acting upon their collective agenda to destabilize it. After the shift of the Great Game from Central Asia to Pakistan, the country has become a special target of CIA, RAW and Mossad which are in collaboration in supporting various terror-related attacks in various cities, including separatist elements in Balochistan province.
As part of the New Cold War, terror-attacks coincide with a poisonous propaganda of the US-led entities against Russia-China-Pakistan axis and Iran and their interests in the region.
It is notable that India was openly opposing the CPEC and China’s One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative, the US also joined New Delhi. In this context, on October 3, 2017, US Defence Secretary James Mattis told the Lawmakers, “The United States has reiterated its support for India’s opposition to China’s One Belt, One Road initiative…the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) a part of which traverses Pakistan-Kashmir.”
Islamabad strongly dismissed the statement from the American defence chief that the multibillion-dollar road and rail network CPEC which is part of China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative, passes through a disputed territory of Kashmir, urging the international community to focus on blatant human rights violations and ‘heinous crimes’ committed by Indian occupation forces in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK), and reminded the US that Washington had also participated in an OBOR summit.
A statement from the Chinese foreign ministry also dismissed Mattis’ statement, saying that the OBOR plan was backed by the United Nations and that CPEC was an economic cooperation initiative. Russia also supports the OBOR and CPEC.
Earlier, due to the double game of the US-led entities, China, Russia and Pakistan held secretary-level trilateral talks in Moscow on December 27, 2016, and discussed regional stability, including the restoration of peace in Afghanistan. The meeting also discussed anti-terrorism cooperation amid growing influence of the ISIL in the region and a peace process between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
In the recent past, using tough words against the US ally Pakistan, Trump revived the old blame game of his predecessors Bush and Obama regarding the cross-border terrorism in Afghanistan by saying Washington could “no longer be silent about Pakistan’s safe havens for terrorist organizations”, and threatened to target the terrorists’ sanctuaries in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
As regards Pakistan’s regional rival India, Donald Trump said, “We appreciate India’s important contributions to stability in Afghanistan…We want them to help us more with Afghanistan.”
Meanwhile, on January 5, 2018, the US suspended $255 million of military aid to Islamabad as a condition to do more against terrorism.
According to the statement of the ISPR (Army Spokesman), “Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa stated that “Pakistan was not looking for any material or financial assistance from the USA but trust, understanding and acknowledgement of our contributions…peace in Afghanistan is as important for Pakistan as for any other country.”
And various other developments such as Russia-Turkey alliance to fight the ISIS in Syria, and US decision to dispatch more troops to Afghanistan is equally notable.
Nonetheless, taking note of the US double game, Islamabad which has already strengthened its relations with Beijing has also been cultivating its ties with Russia. In the recent past, Pakistan’s top officials have paid a visit to Moscow. In this connection, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif has openly stated that Islamabad will prefer Russia over America.
It is worth mentioning that in an interview to the “The Wall Street Journal” on January 5, 2018, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said, “He sees his country’s alliance with the US as over after the Trump administration announced the suspension of U.S. security-related aid to Pakistan…This is not how allies behave.”
Pakistan is also improving its relations with Iran. In the end of last year, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa paid a visit to Tehran where he met Iranian civil and military high officials.
While, New Cold War has been accelerated between Washington and Moscow in relation to the Syrian civil war and Afghanistan, in these circumstances, owing to Trump’s pro-Israeli policy and anti-Iran rhetoric—and taking cognizance of the unsuccessful US-Indian partnership which is based on extremism, Tehran will abandon the American-supported Chabahar project and will prefer to align with Russian-led China-Pakistan alliance.
Nevertheless, there is co-relationship of the US internal and external policies. Hence, it is owing to Donald Trump’s flawed external policy that the United States has lost leverage of bargaining over the small countries like Pakistan, North Korea, Iran and Turkey who have refused to follow America’s coercive diplomacy whose major aim is to complete the Zionist agenda of Israel. Particularly, the hollowness of American sanctions and military pressure on Pyongyang could be assessed from the fact that now; President Trump is showing a willingness to have negotiations with North Korea on the issue of latter’s nuclear programme (Conduction of missile tests).
Regarding the New Cold War, it is noteworthy that America’s faulty strategy has weakened her position, as she has not only entangled in a prolonged war in Afghanistan but also enveloped other NATO countries there. Particularly, the US-led endless war in Afghanistan and a fake global war on terror have rapidly increased the cost of these useless conflicts which have brought about multifaceted crises inside the United States, including other NATO countries.
It is worth mentioning that one of the important causes of the disintegration of the former Soviet Union was that its greater defence expenditure exceeded to the maximum, resulting in economic crises inside the country. In this connection, about a prolonged war in Afghanistan, the former President Gorbachev had declared it as the “bleeding wound.” However, Soviet Union failed in controlling the movements of liberation, launched by various ethnic nationalities. At present, America is moving on Soviet Union’s tract of disintegration, while President Trump promised to make America great again. Therefore, he has been boosting defence spending by ignoring the fact that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including various other operations against Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Philippines have further given a blow to the US exchequer.
In case of Syrian civil war, latest reports suggest that Syrian regime forces have cut off the largest town in Eastern Ghouta from the rest of the opposition enclave in a blow to the CIA-Mossad-backed beleaguered rebels who are failing in defending their last bastion near Damascus.
Besides, domestic extremism keeps on going in America, and the fundamentalist President Donald Trump has continued criticizing CIA, FBI, judiciary, media and some other key institutions. For example, in the recent past, President Trump has alleged CIA for interference with his agendas and termed its officers as “Sick People.”
Taking note of his extremist policies, many top officials of the Trump Administration have resigned.
In America, CIA, FBI and Department of Homeland Security which are working as “states within a state” or “shadow Governments” or “Deep state means,” are also clandestinely working against one another. They do not respond to the civilian political leadership-the President and the Congressmen which are also fighting a war of nerves against each other.
Now, we can witness that terrorism-related attacks in the Middle East, South Asia, Africa, Europe, America and elsewhere in the world have, rapidly, been increasing.
Mossad which is exploiting the New Cold War is playing a key role in terror assaults, as Israel will prefer a nuclear war between Russia and the US or between North Korea and America to avoid the two-state settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian issue. Atomic war could also erupt between Pakistan and India, as New Delhi also avoids solution of the Kashmir issue. While fanatic leaders are in power in the US, India and Israel, their connivance may also culminate in ‘clash of civilizations’, particularly between the Muslim and the Christians worlds.
Returning to our earlier discussion, we can undoubtedly conclude that global trade war, New Cold War and terrorism are interrelated. It is the right hour that loyalist Americans, non-Zionist Jews and peace-loving citizens of every other religious community should play their positive role for global peace by stopping the division of the international community on religious and cultural lines. They must castigate the conspiracy of Trump-led Israel and India—the manipulators of the New Cold War which could envelop the entire international community.
Posted by admin in Baloch Feudal Sardars, Balochistan - The Beautiful Heart of Pakistan, BALOCHISTAN IS PAKISTAN, BALOCHISTAN-THE HEART OF PAKISTAN, BALOCHISTAN=PAKISTAN, Ishaal Zehra on February 16th, 2018
Balochistan Is The Heart Of Pakistan: Speaker Balochistan Assembly
Switzerland has rejected the request of the exiled leader of the banned Baloch Republican Party (BRP) Brahumdagh Bugti to seek political asylum after more than seven years. A week earlier, she also imposed a lifetime entry ban on the prominent exiled Baloch leader and Bugti’s brother-in-law, Mehran Marri. A source in the Swiss government confirmed that Brahumdagh Bugti’s asylum application was turned down because of his links with the banned Baloch Republican Army (BRA). The rejection letter clearly illustrates these allegations with reference to the “incidents of terrorism, violence and militant activities”.
At the same time, some two hundred Baloch separatists, including 15 commanders, renounced violence and laid down their arms at the hands of Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo and Commander Southern Command Lt Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa at a ceremony held at FC Headquarters Turbat last month, taking the toll of those ‘shunning the violence’ and submitting to the writ of the state, to a high figure of eight thousand.
India has been lately obsessed with the idea of liberating Baluchistan. For the same, she is found supporting any and every source she can find. Though practically she knows she can’t, still by giving inflated hype to their paid agents like Naila Baloch and Mama Qadeer they try to diverge attention from their own misfortunate afflictions of on-going freedom movements of Khalistan, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Assam and specially Kashmir which has gained universal attention in the near past.
Bugti had been living in Afghanistan prior to leaving the country for a Middle Eastern state and from there he flew to Geneva. It was also reported that Bugti had, on September 19, 2016, formally asked the Indian government to grant him an asylum and Indian nationality so that he could live in India and move around the world to campaign against Pakistan.
The report was later denied by India and the BRP, but, just four days later, the news turned out to be correct and Bugti officially announced that he would apply for Indian citizenship for himself and his family.
To tell the truth, Modi cannot create an independent Baluchistan no matter how hard he tries. Maximum what India can do is to create some unrest with his spies from intelligence agency like Kulbhushan, who is already in Pakistani custody and is being prosecuted against the charges of fomenting terrorism and sabotage in Baluchistan. Ignoring all pieces of evidence, India, still maintains that Jhadav was kidnapped from Iran last year, however, Pakistan upholds the claim that the RAW agent was caught inside the boundary of the country and is found guilty of conducting espionage activities in Pakistan. To make her point India has propagated the interview of Mama Qadeer as an evidence, where he parroted that Kulbhushan was kidnapped from Iran by some criminal gang and later handed over to Pakistan. Interestingly, this Mama Qadeer himself was never deemed a patriot unlike most of the Baluch people, many of whom are the greatest patriots Pakistan has ever known.
Mama Qadeer Baloch is a Baloch separatist leader who rose to prominence in 2013 when he marched from Quetta to Islamabad to highlight disappearances in Balochistan and was in the news for a few years till around 2015. Ironically, his only achievement in life was also given an Indian perspective when he was referred to as the Gandhi of Baluchistan for this long march. Though he did not went missing like the people he did the effort for, however, he’s been unheard of since then. Living in a self-exile in Afghanistan, Mama Qadeer isn’t renowned or too well-known in Pakistan even. Sponsored by India, he is infamously acknowledged for bashing the government in his separatist speeches. He belongs to the sort of people who sell themselves to cheap popularity by doing about anything just to stay in the news.
What he and his controller, Modi, both have to realize is that Baluchistan is not East Pakistan, moreover, unlike East Pakistan, there’s no separatist movement in Baluchistan. Historically, a lot of things went horribly wrong in Baluchistan which we do understand. The royal Baloch tribes disapproved the ordinary Baloch population to progress in education, enlightenment and socio-economic uplift. The reason behind this cruel approach was the fear that education, enlightenment and economic progress would end their Sardari system, but that was the past. Today’s Baloch is broad-minded, intelligent and progressive. He loves education, he loves his country and he loves his country mates. Though there is a widespread discontentment, there is no popular support for the breakaway movement.
The chances of Baluchistan breaking away are slim for many reasons and CPEC is one of them. China has already invested heavily in Gwadar, while Russia also considers Gwadar as the channel to exert her influence in the Indian Ocean. With this international attention, the chances of Indian dream coming to reality becomes quite grim. The chief minister of Baluchistan best represented the desires of thousands of Baloch people when he said that “Citizens of Baluchistan do not want any more bloodshed. They are patriots and want development”. These historical words were said by him while addressing the ceremony organized by Baloch insurgents who laid down their arms in Turbat.
Posted by admin in OPINION LEADER, Pakistan Scape goat For US Afghan Defeat, Pakistan Security, Pakistan Security and Defence: Enemy & Threats (Internal & External), RAW-MOSSAD NEXUS, Sajjad Shaukat 's Column on February 16th, 2018
Since the occupation of Afghanistan by the US-led NATO forces, the country has become a centre of the intelligence agencies such as American CIA, Indian RAW and Israeli Mossad which are in connivance to obtain the covert designs of their countries and some Western countries against Russia, China and Pakistan, including Iran.
Under the cover of fighting terrorism, these foreign agencies which are also in collaboration with Afghan intelligence agency, National Directorate of Security (NDS) support the militants of Islamic State group (Also known as ISIS, ISIL and Daesh) and Afghanistan-based Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), including their linked outfits which have been conducting terror-assaults in Afghanistan and Pakistan as part of the double game of the US-led countries. Besides, these terrorist groups are weakening Tibetan regions of China and Iranian Sistan-Balochistan through subversive activities.
America, India and puppet rulers of Afghanistan shift the blame game of terror attacks in Afghanistan towards Pakistan. Especially, the US has also accused Iran and Russia of assisting the Taliban in Afghanistan. The main purpose of Washington is not only to pacify their people and justify the unending war in Afghanistan but also to fulfil the secret strategic designs against Russia, China, Pakistan and Iran.
It is notable that in order to divert attention from NATO’s defeatism in Afghanistan, at a news conference in Kabul, on April 24, 2017, Defense Secretary James Mattis and Gen. John Nicholson, the American commander in Afghanistan supposedly stated that Russia was providing weapons to the Taliban. But, Moscow denied these false allegations.
It is of particular attention that, a news item was published by all the leading dailies of Pakistan on October 8, 2017 regarding the statement of Afghanistan’s Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai who, while dismissing criticism of Moscow’s ties with the Taliban and echoing Russian claims of American support to the ISIS terrorists, told Voice of America (VOC) that the United States has links with terrorist ‘Islamic State’, also known as Daesh…Daesh a tool of US…After it [the US] dropped the [mother of all] bomb on Afghanistan, it did not eliminate Daesh…the terrorist group has been supplied weapons by the United States forces…The US Army helicopters and army bases are being used to provide assistance to ISIS terrorists…I do not differentiate at all between Daesh and America…Reports of American assistance to the terrorists are coming from all over the country.” (It also includes Karzai’s revelations to VOC of April 20, 2017, and Newsweek’s report of the same day).
Notably, Pakistan’s Armed Forces have successfully broken the backbone of the foreign-backed terrorists by the military operations Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasaad which have also been extended to other parts of the country, including Balochistan province and Karachi. Army and top intelligence agency ISI have broken the network of these terrorist groups by capturing several militants while thwarting a number of terror attempts. Peace has been restored in various regions of Pakistan, including Karachi and Balochistan.
But, these foreign elements have, again, started terror attacks in Balochistan and other regions of the country which show that the US-led India, Afghanistan and Israel want to weaken Pakistan and to damage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Since Pakistan became the only declared nuclear country in the Islamic World, the United States, India and Israel started acting upon their collective agenda to destabilize it. After the shift of the Great Game from Central Asia to Pakistan, the country has become a special target of CIA, RAW and Mossad which are in collaboration in supporting various terror-related attacks in various cities, including separatist elements in Balochistan province.
In this respect, terror-attacks coincide with a poisonous propaganda of the US-led entities against Russia-China-Pakistan axis and their interests in the region.
In this connection, a news item captioned “Russia, India and China (RIC) Foreign Ministers Resolve to Step Up Counter-Terror Cooperation” was published in New Delhi based RAW front Organization titled “A Publication of Bureau of Political Research and Analysis” on December 21, 2017, on the website www.livemint. In the publication, India has tried to portray Pakistan in a bad light as for as her relation with China and Russia are concerned.
In the news item, while criticizing the joint statement of the RIC meeting, Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj said, “While discussing terrorism, I put across my view that significant rise in acts of terrorism by terrorist organisations like Taliban, Daesh (ISIS), Al Qaeda…directly undermine international peace and security and endanger ongoing efforts to strengthen the global economy and ensure sustainable growth and development.”
However, under the pretext of counterterrorism, the major aim of the publication was to thwart Pakistan’s cordial relations with China and Russia in a bid to neutralize Indian negative and subversive themes against Pakistan.
It is noteworthy that on March 24, 2016, Pakistan’s security forces disclosed that they arrested the serving agent of RAW in Balochistan. During investigation and in a video, shown on Pakistan’s TV channels, RAW agent Kulbushan Yadav confessed that “he was the agent of RAW” and “during his stay, he contacted various Baloch separatist leaders and insurgents, including Dr Allah Nazar Baloch, to execute the task to damage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor” project.
In fact, Baloch Sardars (Feudal lords) have never wanted the ordinary Baloch population to progress in education, enlightenment and socio-economic uplift. The reason behind this cruel approach of the royal Baloch tribes was the fear that education, enlightenment and economic progress would be an end to their Sardari (Lordship). Now, when God is showing His mercy on the miseries of poor Baloch and an opportunity of such progress has been signalled for them from abroad, the same is also not being digested by these merciless Sardars. However, the dissident Baloch Sardars may be cowered and shameless to play in the hand of hostile powers against their own motherland just for the sake of money and lust for power, but not the ordinary Baloch who is brave and patriotic, always ready to die for his beloved country. Today’s Baloch is broad-minded, intelligent and progressive. He loves education, he loves his country and he loves his army. To halt progress on CPEC, the evil nexus of CIA, RAW, Mossad and NDS is active to sponsor the dissident BSNs (Baloch Sub-Nationalists) to destabilize Pakistan and to run the malicious propaganda campaign against Pak-China strategic and economic partnership.
It is mentionable that India was openly opposing the CPEC and China’s One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative, the US also joined New Delhi. In this context, on October 3, 2017, US Defence Secretary James Mattis told the Lawmakers, “The United States has reiterated its support for India’s opposition to China’s One Belt, One Road initiative…the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) a part of which traverses Pakistan-Kashmir.”
Islamabad strongly dismissed the statement from the American defence chief that the multibillion-dollar road and rail network CPEC which is part of China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative, passes through a disputed territory of Kashmir, urging the international community to focus on blatant human rights violations and ‘heinous crimes’ committed by Indian occupation forces in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK), and reminded the US that Washington had also participated in an OBOR summit.
Earlier, a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry also dismissed Mattis’ statement, saying that the OBOR plan was backed by the United Nations and that CPEC was an economic cooperation initiative. Russia also supports the OBOR and CPEC.
It worth mentioning that Indian lobbies which are well-penetrated in the US administration and Europe, research centres, think tanks and so-called human rights groups utilize the media tools in defaming Pakistan internationally. Especially, RAW is availing the opportunity of the US-led organized propaganda campaign against Pakistan.
In this regard, much coverage was given by the external media to a report, released on April 13, 2017, by Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) which is in partnership with Mahatma Gandhi International AISBL. The subject report portrayed complete Indian negative propaganda themes about the provinces of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), Balochistan and Sindh. Based on falsehood, the report also said that the CPEC is a breach of international law and is being implemented without consultation or compensation to the people of the areas.
Undoubtedly, GB is the gateway of CPEC into Pakistan, whereby GB’s strategic and socio-economic importance has increased manifold. Like Balochistan, the region has huge potential in the trade with China, tourism, minerals, gems, precious stones, agriculture-farming and hydropower production. Therefore, GB’s people who are strengthening their association with Pakistan pay no attention to the false propaganda.
In this context, a blog under the caption, “Why Pakistan and China must pay heed to the growing local resistance to CPEC—Communities that are being displaced by the project are anxious–and angry” appeared on a website on July 18, 2017, written by Dr. Amiera and Dr. Nausheen H. Anwar. The blog was also republished by the Asia Times (Online) on August 8, 2017. As part of the negative coverage of the CPEC, it was reproduced several times under various titles like “CPEC: The growing resentment and resistance among poor Pakistanis can cost China dearly”, “For Pakistan, China’s huge energy investments may have serious political costs” etc.
Anyhow, this blog indicates as to how poisonous propaganda techniques are being employed by the foreign media to make the CPEC controversial.
While, these external media-propagandists who also give undue coverage to the meetings and protests against the integrity of Pakistan, are particularly exaggerating the statements of those Baloch leaders who have taken shelter abroad and are fulfilling the agenda of their foreign masters against the CPEC.
In this respect, RAW and CIA arranged a meeting of Baloch Sub-Nationalists, SSNs (Sindhi-Sub- Nationalists) and the USNs (Uyghur Sub-Nationalists of China) on the termination of 35th Session of Human Rights Council in Geneva from 12-14 June 2017. The agenda was; planning against the CPEC/Pak-China’s interests in the region. Mehran Marri attended the conference and delivered a speech (reportedly prepared by RAW) alleging CPEC as exploitation projects and Baloch cultural genocide by Pakistan and China. Representatives of World Sindh Congress (WSC), Uyghur human rights activists, Rebiya Kadeer and Dolikun Aeysa were also present in the said conference.
As a matter of fact, since April 20, 2015, when the Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif signed 51 agreements for cooperation in various fields, related to the CPEC, gloomy coverage of the project had already started in the external media.
The reality is that the establishment of CPEC between deep Gwadar seaport of Balochistan and the historic Silk Road city in western regions-Xinjiang of China will connect Gilgit-Baltistan through Khunjerab Pass. Beijing would also build an international airport at Gwadar, while the roads infrastructure in Gwadar would link the communication network of rest of the country to facilitate transportation of goods.
When Gwadar seaport becomes fully operational, it would connect the landlocked Central Asian states with rest of the world. Being the commercial hub, the port is likely to increase the volume of trade, bringing multiple economic and financial benefits to Pakistan like the Suez Canal which changed the destiny of Egypt when Israel returned it to the former. It will enable high-volume cargo vessels to move in the major oceans. Gwadar project which is the backbone of the CPEC will uplift the impoverished people of Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan, including developments in other provinces by providing thousands of employment opportunities, especially to the less developed areas by redressing their grievances. The resulting prosperity in Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan would damp the separatist sentiments of the people, which the hostile elements, supported by the US, India and Israeli do not want. Therefore, their media describe the CPEC in negative terms.
It is noteworthy that the US and India do not want to see peace and prosperity in the region. Sadly, Pakistan’s dominant role in Afghanistan’s peace process under the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) has, deliberately, been sabotaged by the killing of the Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansur in a CIA-operated drone attack in Balochistan. After the incident, Afghan Taliban leaders refused to participate in the US-sponsored talks with the Afghan government. While, in the recent past, with the help of Pakistan, a series of meetings were held in Islamabad and Kabul among the representatives of Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and the US to develop an understanding for the earliest possible resumption of stalled talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban with view to ending nearly 16 years of bloodshed in Afghanistan.
Addressing the conference, Russian envoy Zamir Kabulov rejected the Indian and Afghan allegations against Pakistan. He stated that Afghanistan is the pivot of the conference and the agenda of the conference should not be hijacked. He added that being friends and supporters, we should avoid the blame game and work together.
Earlier, due to the double game of the US and failure of the QCG, China, Russia and Pakistan held secretary-level trilateral talks in Moscow on December 27, 2016, and discussed regional stability, including the restoration of peace in Afghanistan. The meeting also discussed anti-terrorism cooperation amid growing influence of the ISIL in the region and a peace process between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
In the recent past, using tough words against the US ally Pakistan, Trump revived the old blame game of his predecessors Bush and Obama regarding the cross-border terrorism in Afghanistan by saying Washington could “no longer be silent about Pakistan’s safe havens for terrorist organizations”, and threatened to target the terrorists’ sanctuaries in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
As regards Pakistan’s regional rival India, Donald Trump said, “We appreciate India’s important contributions to stability in Afghanistan…We want them to help us more with Afghanistan.”
Meanwhile, on January 5, 2018, the US suspended $255 million of military aid to Islamabad as a condition to do more against terrorism.
According to the statement of the ISPR (Army Spokesman), “Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa stated that “Pakistan was not looking for any material or financial assistance from the USA but trust, understanding and acknowledgement of our contributions…peace in Afghanistan is as important for Pakistan as for any other country.”
Nevertheless, America and India, including puppet rulers of Afghanistan have always blamed Pakistan for cross-border terrorism in Afghanistan to divert attention from the acts of sabotage, which they have been arranging in Pakistan.
In wake of Modi’s aggressive diplomacy, India has continued shelling in Pakistani side of Kashmir which remains a nuclear flashpoint between both the neighbouring countries.
And various other developments such as Russia-Turkey alliance to fight the ISIS, and US decision to dispatch more troops in Afghanistan etc. are equally notable.
Overtly, American high officials remark that they seek stability in Pakistan, while praising military operations against terrorism, but covertly, they continue destabilizing it, especially with the assistance of India as part of the anti-Pakistan, anti-China and anti-Russia diplomacy.
Taking note of the US double game, Islamabad which has already strengthened its relations with Beijing has also been cultivating its ties with Russia. In the recent past, Pakistan’s top officials have paid a visit to Moscow. In this connection, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif has openly stated that Islamabad will prefer Russia over America.
It is worth mentioning that in an interview to the “The Wall Street Journal” on January 5, 2018, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said, “He sees his country’s alliance with the US as over after the Trump administration announced the suspension of U.S. security-related aid to Pakistan…This is not how allies behave.”
Pakistan is also improving its relations with Iran. In the end of last year, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa paid a visit to Tehran where he met Iranian civil and military high officials.
While new Cold War has been accelerated between Washington and Moscow in relation to the Syrian civil war and Afghanistan, in these circumstances, owing to Trump’s pro-Israeli policy and anti-Iran rhetoric, while taking cognizance of the unsuccessful US-Indian partnership which is based on extremism, Tehran will abandon the American-backed Chabahar project and will prefer to align with Russian-led China-Pakistan axis.
Nonetheless, poisonous propaganda of the US-led entities against Russia-China-Pakistan axis will not succeed in future due to the faulty strategy of America, which is likely to culminate into America’s downfall or disintegration, as present internal and external crises of the US indicate.
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