Is India fuelling militancy in Fata?

The POST, Sun, Aug,03, 2008.

Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema

A report recently published in a leading national daily (The Nation) on 27th July unambiguously stated that after receiving intelligence reports indicating links between RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) and militant organizations nation’s top security brass has ordered a thorough probe into the involvement of India in the growing militancy in Waziristan and other tribal areas.

Not only the intelligence reports show the involvement of India’s main spy agency RAW in fomenting anti-Pakistan feelings there but also the information extracted from the arrested militants during Hangu operation also supported the contention. While the source stressed that the reports were credible enough to be accepted, it was decided to have a joint probe involving country’s main security agencies in order to ascertain the nature and cooperation between the militants and Indian spy agency.

While RAW is commonly known to dabble into nefarious acts inside Pakistan, yet it not appropriate to put the blame on RAW unless a definite and convincing proof is provided by the above mentioned probe. To put the blame just like that is no different than what the Indian have been doing so regularly and so consistently after any adverse event that had taken place inside India only to realize that those were undertaken by the Indians or India based groups.

Admittedly there exist sufficient circumstantial evidences to point a finger at the Indian agency and past, both recent and distant, is studded with innumerable instances in which RAW was known to be involved. Compared to India, Pakistan has never indulged in the blame game unless it has some evidence where as Indian practice has been to put the blame first and then try to either collect the evidence or manufacture it.

It needs to be mentioned here that lately even the Afghan government is demonstrating the techniques it learnt from India. Following the recent Kabul bomb blast in the Indian embassy, the Afghan officials including the President whose writ is known to be confined to Kabul, in their indecent haste did not hesitate to quickly pin the blame on Pakistan based agency without advancing any evidence.

Many eminent non Pakistani scholars who are familiar with the complex nature of the area have written about Taliban stressed that not only the US intelligence community is well aware about this problem which is exacerbated by Taliban alliance with Al Qaeda moving into Pakistani territories but also because of covert support by the Indian government and its intelligence services-principally RAW for the Jihadist movement.

A cursory review of India-Pakistan relations over the last sixty years clearly point towards the fact that both countries’ intelligence agencies have been exploiting situations in one form or the other with one major difference between them. The Indian agencies would immediately point the finger at Pakistan almost immediately after the incident whereas the Pakistanis would first search for some piece of evidence and then build the case against India. Being a large country and having a large network of intelligence agencies with close connections with agencies Israeli Mossad, the Indian agencies also operate from Afghanistan with the active support of the incumbent Afghan government.

It is not too far fetched to assume that the American intelligence agencies are well aware of RAW’s activities in the region especially in Afghanistan, yet they have opted to avoid criticizing their activities against Pakistan. Again no Pakistani would be agitated as they are well familiar about India’s over projection of the notion of cross border terrorism with regard to Kashmir situation and the American ready acceptance of Indian interpretation of the Kashmir situation.

Pakistan appears to be easily available punching bag which not only the Indians and Afghans but even the Americans do not hesitate to throw punches. However compared to the Indians and Afghans, the Americans appear to be relatively sophisticated in their approach. The Afghans and Indians throw punches at will.

The American problem is that they do not want to annoy India and at the same time would like to have Pakistan on their right side. Not only they have been building India at the cost of even destroying NPT regime but also feel convinced that a strong India would be able to counter the increasing Chinese influence in Asia. Admittedly India is advancing at a much rapid pace in terms of development but to play the role of a regional influential it may have to demonstrate qualities deemed necessary for a great power’s role.

A further complicating factor is the American commitment to Afghanistan. Judged by any yardstick the Americans along with NATO forces have not yet been able to extend incumbent Afghan regime’s writ beyond a limited area. The foreign forces have certain met limited success. Undoubtedly it appears that foreign forces may have to stay for a much longer time than what they initially anticipated.

Unable to deliver the augured outcome, one finds that the notion of do more is frequently aired. Most objective analyses invariably concluded that the notion of do more is part of the diversionary tactics. Inability to keep pace with anticipated outcomes often compels them to employ such tactics to buy time.

However this does not mean that both the Taliban and Al Qaeda have not been illegally using parts of Tribal areas. In fact the illegal use of Pakistani Tribal territory has caused many undesired problems for Pakistan. The Pakistani government is making efforts to stamp out the militancy and to plug the illegal cross border movements in the Pak-Afghan border region.

In this connection, the Americans should not only provide necessary help to government of Pakistan and strengthen its hands to deal with the problem effectively but should also effective prevent the Indians and the Afghans support to the militants in the tribal areas.

The writer works for Islamabad Policy research Institute.