The Regional and International Conspiracy Against Pakistan’s Security: Role of India, Afghanistan, and the Balochistan Crisis

Publishing date: 20 November 2024

Published in: Global Courant

n recent years, Pakistan’s border regions, particularly Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, have become hotbeds of instability. While local factors such as ethnic tensions and economic neglect play a significant role, there’s growing consensus that foreign interference, particularly from India, has been a major driver of unrest. The situation has worsened over the decades, with the turning point coming after the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan, which allowed India to ramp up its covert activities in the region. This has had devastating consequences for Pakistan. India’s involvement in Afghanistan is not new, but it became far more pronounced after the fall of Taliban. India’s intelligence agency, RAW, has used Afghanistan as a base to further its long-standing goal of destabilizing Pakistan. Through various Afghan governments, particularly under Presidents Hamid Karzai and Ashraf Ghani, India built its influence in Kabul, bolstering its presence through diplomatic, military, and covert operations. India’s strategy involved supporting insurgent groups and using Afghanistan’s porous border with Pakistan to carry out proxy operations, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, both of which have witnessed growing militancy in recent years.
▪️ The insurgency in Balochistan, fueled by local grievances and external support, has been particularly violent in recent years. The BLA, for example, has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks, including the deadly bombing at the Quetta railway station on November 9th, which killed 26 people and injured dozens more. The group, which seeks independence for Balochistan, has long been linked to Indian intelligence agencies. India’s support for Baloch separatists has exacerbated the violence, with BLA militants receiving funding, training, and weapons from RAW to carry out attacks. This particular bombing, in which innocent civilians were targeted at a public facility, is a stark reminder of the brutal tactics being used to destabilize the region for strategic gains. But Balochistan is not the only region where India’s covert activities have had a destabilizing effect. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, home to a large Pashtun population, has also been a target for Indian-backed militants. The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a group with its own agenda, has found sanctuary in Afghanistan, where it has received logistical support and resources from RAW. Analysts have pointed to India’s role in uniting various militant groups within Afghanistan, using them as proxies to launch cross-border attacks into Pakistan. These operations contribute to the growing sense of insecurity in Pakistan’s western provinces, further complicating the already volatile situation.