Pakistani internal security (catch all)

[davidbfpo]

A review of the recent FT report on the Chinese talking to Baluch insurgents (See Post ) by a Washington DC author; which had this comment on Twitter from another SME:

Very useful, nuanced and interesting piece on China and Balochistan by @MalikSirajAkbar in light of reports of recent talks between Beijing and Baloch militants

The article starts with:

Both China and separatist Baloch nationalists in Balochistan have categorically denied a recent Financial Times report that revealed Beijing’s five-year-long covert contacts with the Baloch separatists to end the ongoing insurgency in the country’s largest province.

It ends with:

There is a need for Islamabad to step back and review the current political and security strategy. The government will have to accommodate local perspectives, promote community policing and hold consultation with all stakeholders to win the trust of the people. The insurgency erupted and then thrived for more than a decade in the absence of shrewd public policy. The Chinese might help Pakistan build roads and bridges, but they can’t teach Islamabad how to understand its own people, their grievances and perspectives.

Link:http://tns.thenews.com.pk/beijing-balochistan/

[davidbfpo]

A short commentary on the intense US aerial campaign against militant Islamist groups between 2009 and 2014, in Pakistan's tribal areas (FATA) and in particular North Waziristan.

It is part of an academic project into drones (UAV) at Birmingham University (UK):

we carried out more than 30 interviews and two general surveys, with more than 400 respondents, in Pakistan to assess the impact of the drones in the tribal areas. From what they told us, we learned that conflicting perceptions of the use of drones can shape not only conflict but also coexistence – and even cooperation.

It ends with a passage, which echoes much of what SWJ is about:

In a nutshell, the reason the drone campaign helped dash hopes of a settlement was the social, political, and cultural dynamics of Pakistan’s tribal region and the way the tribal system’s core elements were undermined. If you want to explain what happened to the short-lived peace process in Pakistan in 2013-14, you have to start there. And so does anyone charged with coming up with any new counter-insurgency strategy, whether it includes drone strikes or not.

Link:https://theconversation.com/interviews-with-pakistani-civilians-and-pervez-musharraf-tell-a-complicated-story-of-drone-warfare-102288?

[davidbfpo]

A commentary by RUSI's Raffaello Pantucci on an event in August 2018, he starts with:

The attempted suicide bombing against a bus carrying Chinese engineers in Dalbandin, Balochistan highlights the complexity of the security problems China faces in Pakistan. The attack was a rare suicide bombing for the Balochistan Liberation Army and was specifically targeting China. It showed how Beijing is finding itself dragged into a clash whose answer lies in the resolution of fundamental issues within Pakistan

Link:https://raffaellopantucci.com/2018/1...tructure-plan/

Then a headline from VoA: 'Pakistan Says Helping Tehran Rescue Kidnapped Iranian Forces' and a report that starts with:

Pakistan said Tuesday its military forces were working closely with those of neighboring Iran to locate more than a dozen Iranian security forces that militants kidnapped in a pre-dawn raid along the border. The announcement came hours after Tehran urged Islamabad to cooperate in securing freedom for 14 Iranian guards, including intelligence operatives.

Link:https://www.voanews.com/a/pakistan-s...-/4615879.html

It is suspected those involved are the anti-Iranian faction that hide in Balochistan.

[davidbfpo]

Via Deutsche Welle website, Germany’s international broadcaster:

China consulate attack: Why Pakistan's Baloch separatists are against Beijing; The attack on a Chinese consulate in Karachi has raised concerns about the security of Chinese nationals in Pakistan. Experts say it also highlights the opposition to China's economic projects in Baluchistan province.

Link:https://www.dw.com/en/china-consulat...ing/a-46424112

[davidbfpo]

From a "lurker" familiar with Pakistan.

The new Prime Minister, Imran Khan, is discovering that militancy on a variety of issues can no longer be "turned off" by their leaders at the behest or direction of the nation-state (or ISI). This is particularly so in the urban areas of the Punjab and can involve large numbers on the streets. Social media has a role of course.

[davidbfpo]

A short article from Dawn, a Pakistani newspaper, which is almost a comedy. It starts with:

CALL it the Afghanisation of politics. You can guess what they don’t want, but you can’t really be certain about what they do want. And maybe it makes a kind of sense: you can’t ever be defeated if you never say what it is that you really want.

Link:https://www.dawn.com/news/1450345

I am not sure who 'they' are; the politicians, ISI and the Army?

[davidbfpo]

Via Twitter by @Roohan2Amhed:

Four commanders of the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army, including one of group's founding members Aslam Achu, have been killed in a suicide attack in Kandahar province of Afghanistan. The group has confirmed their deaths

Really a 'suicide bombing'? No, I suspect the "hidden hand" is over the border.