The holding of an exclusive hearing on Balochistan by US House Committee on Foreign Affairs, encouraging terrorist elements there, is indicative of nefarious ambitions to destabilise Pakistan. Loaded US designs were manifest from the fact that Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, who recently authored an article expressing support for an independent Balochistan was to chair the hearing. Ralph Peter, a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the US Army, who was the author/cartographer of his pernicious thesis in 2006 that sought break up of Pakistan and carving out of an independent Balochistan from Pakistani and Iranian territories, was on the witness panel for this hearing. And incidentally who was he speaking for?
The moving spirit behind selection of this highly jaundiced chair and witness combination only speaks of US policymakers’ desire to stir trouble for Pakistan and give a fillip to the efforts of some misguided terrorists who are holding the people of Balochistan to ransom.
In the backdrop of the propaganda of ‘Quetta Shura’, the US interest to gain a handle on Balochistan, to find space for its intelligence and contractors to rule the roost, is an obvious desire. Already its frustration over refusal of Pakistani authorities to let it open a consulate in Quetta is well known. Mossad has recently been reported to have operated in the province, in the guise of CIA agents to recruit Jundullah fighters targeting Iran. It bodes ill for Pakistan, and Balochistan, that State Department officials, pseudo military intellectuals and members of Congress have begun to publicly assert support for Independent Balochistan.
While developing a politico-military strategy to thwart ill-advised US interference in Balochistan, we must redouble efforts to bring about constitutional and administrative reforms to empower Baloch people and wean away a small number of miscreants from terrorism, who are the beneficiaries of manipulative rhetoric and inducements by hostile outside powers.
GUL RAHMAN WAZIR
Peshawar
