Pakistan's pact with ISKP will come at a cost: Expansion into India

New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS) The recent strikes in Balochistan have raised questions about the ISI’s support to the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP). The Afghan Taliban has been accusing Pakistan of supporting the ISKP for some years now, a charge that Islamabad strongly denies.

However, the role of the ISKP in the recent strikes in Balochistan make amply clear that it had the complete backing of the Pakistan Army and ISI. Indian agencies have stated for long that there is a nexus between the two. However recent Intelligence inputs suggest that the ISI will use the ISKP more in Balochistan.

Initially, the ISKP was used to fight against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Islamabad claims is backed by the Afghan Taliban. Now, there is a change in strategy, and the ISI has asked the ISKP to go all out against the Baloch people.

Proof of this development came in the form of a video released by ISKP’s Al-Azaim Media. In this, a man speaking in Pashto language says that the ISKP has declared a war on the armed Balochistan nationalist groups as well as political organisations and rights groups.

While the ISKP claims that this war is declared because the Balochistan insurgents attacked its training camps killing 30 people, in reality it is Pakistan which is pushing this terror group.

In the last couple of months, Pakistan has signed mineral deals with the United States. It has also inked an agreement with Afghanistan and China relating to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor Project 2.0 (CPEC). During the meeting in China, Pakistan was told clearly that it would have to raise funds for the project. It once again reminded Pakistan about the pathetic security situation in Balochistan and Islamabad must urgently fix it.

Further, the US is also pressuring Pakistan to restore order in Balochistan as it would be essential for the minerals deal to go through. The US even did the Pakistanis a favour by declaring the Balochistan Nationalist Army (BLA) a terror organisation. While this would give the Pakistan Army more power and accountability to fight against the BLA, in reality it is having a hard time.

The Pakistan Army is facing intense heat from both the TTP and BLA and hence needs the support of the ISKP to battle these groups. While the ISKP-ISI partnership has been in the works for sometime now, this renewed push to go all out in Balochistan is a worrying development for the region.

This renewed push gives the ISKP a free hand to go about its business. While, this would create chaos in Balochistan, one must be mindful that the biggest target for the ISKP is India.

When the ISKP was first formed, it made Afghanistan its base. Gradually it expanded deeper into Pakistan and over a period of time won over the establishment. However, one must bear in mind, the primary target for the ISKP is India.

This was the same outfit which was recruiting Indians and training them in Pakistan. The ISKP’s plans was to train Indians and send them back to India. It had managed to recruit 21 persons from Kerala and was planning on more.

This bonhomie is worrying from another stand point also. Now, the ISI would give the ISKP a free hand to undertake attacks anywhere in India.

Earlier, it had ensured that the ISKP would not meddle in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab since this is the turf of the Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Khalistani terrorist groups.

Security officials say that now that the ISI is seeking so many favours from the ISKP, in return the terror outfit would seek more turf in India.

--IANS

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