The Inspector-General of Frontier Constabulary, Maj-General Ubaidullah Khan Khattak, in an interaction with the media on Saturday, openly pointed an accusing finger at foreign hands, “involved in the province”. It was not the first time that a responsible functionary of the government has claimed that foreign agencies are active in Balochistan. Maj-General Khattak was perhaps the first to talk of as many as 121 training camps run by Baloch dissidents in the province, which he said were supported by “foreign agencies” 20 of whom were operating there. In addition, he revealed there were 30 camps providing training in Afghanistan with the purpose of creating trouble in Balochistan. He seemed in no doubt that Afghanistan was turning a blind eye to the activities of these camps and that Kabul was extending support to them. As the porous border extending nearly 2,600km was difficult to man, he said, it was easy to infiltrate arms into the country, which find their way ultimately to Balochistan, coming there also via Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and even Sindh. He lamented that teachers, doctors and civilians had fallen prey to targeted killings and 100,000 of peaceful citizens had felt compelled to migrate out of the province. Referring to a recent statement of the exiled Nawabzada Brahamdagh Bugti, he affirmed that the FC would not let the designs of these hostile elements succeed. “Nobody would be allowed to disintegrate Pakistan and we would continue fighting against those who talk about the breaking of the country,” he declared. The Maj-General was of the view that militant camps had been eliminated by 2007, but after the elections, the new government’s withdrawal of the armed forces and dismantling of some cantonments allowed the insurgents to reorganise.

While the Major General’s revelations are a serious cause for concern, there is never conclusive and actionable proof presented with such claims. Such proof should be produced before the public immediately and the IGFC’s lament that the media does not highlight the claim may thus be resolved naturally. However, our intelligence agencies advise the government to find a “political solution” for a problem, which if explained as caused by foreign hands, seems to be a job for our intelligence agencies themselves to tackle. Political solutions are being attempted already, but political solutions may not be the correct salve for the IG’s claim of foreign interference. Concrete proof must be presented by our agencies to our media, who will of course, then make every effort to highlight it.
In the meantime, the Prime Minister has moved to order the revision of anti-terror laws, cancelling rahdaris and banning non-custom-paid vehicles to ply on the roads. His two-day visit to Balochistan comes in the aftermath of the deteriorating law and order situation. The province’s grievances demand education and health facilities, job opportunities, development works, due share in the resources of the province, not for the benefit of Nawabs who have plenty of them already, but the average man in the street.