Pakistan briefs MPs on foreign involvement in Balochistan unrest

Adviser to the PM on Interior Rehman Malik told an in-camera session of the Senate the government had solid evidence that foreign hand was actively involved in creating unrest in Balochistan, the tribal belt and Swat.

During the briefing, which lasted for around seven hours, the adviser presented before the senators intelligence reports and findings on various aspects of the problems and said India and Afghanistan were actively backing the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which was raised by former USSR.

Pakistan, he said, faced two types of challenges: militancy in the guise of Islam and insurgency in Balochistan. “Insurgents enjoy Indian funding and complete backing of the Afghanistan government,” senators quoted the adviser as telling them.

The adviser also said 1,000 Baloch students, who were imparted training in Russia, were now back in Balochistan, said some of the participants of the session requesting anonymity. The adviser gave briefing with the help of multi-media projectors, charts and maps on the tribal areas, Swat and Balochistan.

The crux of the interviews this correspondent held with some senators, was that the situation in Balochistan was grim and what was needed was a strategy to address the problems in the province on a priority basis.