by Allabaksh
In recent weeks several reports have appeared about Indian individuals or groups scattered in different parts of the country working for Al Qaeda or IS and enticing youth to work for these terror outfits. The head of the so-called All Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent is Sanaul Haq of Sambal near Muzaffarngar (UP) who lives in the ‘Af-Pak’ region, which is often used as a synonym for Pakistan. Osama bin Laden was reported to be living in the ‘Af-Pak’ region but was found—and killed—inside Pakistan, close to an establishment of the Pakistani army.
A number of young educated and skilled professionals in India have been arrested for their alleged links with these organisations, the latest instance being that of an Indian Oil marketing manager in Jaipur for alleged links with IS and urging youth to join it. The myth that poverty and backwardness attract the youth to terror activities has been buried once again after this arrest, like after the San Bernardino massacre that had placed Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on the firing line as never before.
Pakistan is trying to bury the fact that it sponsors acts of terror in its neighbourhood—in India and Afghanistan. Towards that end, it has been making strenuous efforts to outsource terror to gullible Indian youth. The success that Pakistan has achieved in this respect should be a matter of concern even though New Delhi appears to buy lock stock and barrel the latest Pakistani trap that it will address India’s terror-related concerns during the planned ‘’comprehensive’’ dialog.
During the past year or two a number of educated and well-placed professionals have been arrested on terror-related charges. The number of serving and retired personnel of the Indian Army and other security agencies arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan has reportedly increased. Interrogation of the arrested establishes that they are lured by Pakistan’s ISI or its proxies that masquerade as ‘charity organisations’. Many have also fallen for the jihadist propaganda on the Internet.
Pakistan has discovered that it is easier and ‘safer’ to recruit Indians working in the Gulf region or Saudi Arabia for carrying out nefarious activities inside India on behalf of the Pakistanis rather than send its own citizens clandestinely to India. ‘Safer’ because the recruitment is not done on the Indian or Pakistani soil and the recruits are Indian nationals. It provides Pakistan a ‘credible’ denial route instead of the usual ridiculous excuses it offers.
Once an Indian youth has been sucked into the Pakistani terror universe he is trained in POK, and assured all manner of help to attack Indian targets and expand terror cells inside India. Many of these Indian recruits are now stationed in Pakistan. Of late, Pakistan has also tried to revive Khalistani activities with the help of fugitive Indians it has sheltered inside its territory or Sikh ultras living in the West who receive VIP treatment upon their arrival in Lahore to take part in Sikh festivals.
It can be assumed that the terrorists Pakistan is training or sheltering are being asked to plan a big attack on India, something like the Mumbai 2008 terror mayhem or one that may be on a lesser scale but can still create a big impact. Being Indian nationals, the only worry for Pakistan will be if India comes out with a proof of their Pakistani link. But this is not the same as India being able to blame Pakistan and Pakistani nationals of direct involvement.
Viewed in the context of these developments the decision by the Modi government to open a ‘comprehensive bilateral dialogue’ with Pakistan does not look very reassuring if its main object is to see the two countries live in a tension-free atmosphere. More over the decision also means that India will no longer insist that ‘terror and talks’ cannot go together.
The Indian government’s justification for its volte face is based on a Pakistani ‘assurance’ that it will address the Indian concern over terror by hastening the trial of the Pakistanis accused in the Mumbai terror attack of November 2008.
This is a repetitive but unconvincing Pakistani dialogue, first heard when the military dictator Pervez Musharraf was in power. The Mumbai trial in Pakistan has become a farce with court proceedings being continuously aborted. Besides, Pakistan says that it cannot proceed without Indian ‘cooperation’, thus transferring the onus of proving the prosecution case on New Delhi.
Perhaps Pakistan is now able to repeat the assurances on terror because there has been a significant change in the nature of terror attacks on India after November 2008. The mayhem created by a band of 10 Pakistani terrorists put Pakistan in the dock internationally. Plans for another Mumbai type attacks could not be executed for fear of being ostracized by the world. The terror strikes in India have been on a much smaller scale since 2008.
Pakistan still has plenty of room for audacious terror attacks in India and, more importantly, with the involvement of fewer and fewer Pakistanis. After consistently exporting terror to India for 40 years, Pakistan’s ISI is able to operate inside India largely with its franchises.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had famously said some weeks ago that while Pakistan manufactures allegations of Indian involvement in terror activities inside Pakistan, India can produce ‘live’ proof of Pakistani doing the same in India. It is unlikely that India may be able to provide many ‘live’ proofs to Pakistan in the future. But the bottom line is will Pakistan give up its policy of using terror against India? Not when it can do so with the help of its franchises inside India who will take instructions from the generals in Rawalpindi.