The Pakistani Spectator

With US Forces scheduled to begin packing up their duffel bags for the much awaited homeward bound journey, beginning mid of next year, the Indian intelligence has started mobilizing its substantial Afghan assets to challenge Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns in Afghanistan. The ambitious plans not only seek to contend for influence on the Afghan turf but envisage using the substantial intelligence presence in Afghanistan for ratcheting up subversive activities inside Pakistan. Raking up internal instability and destruction in Pakistani hinterland with FATA and Baluchistan emerging as the nodal points for directing such efforts, remain at the heart of the Indian strategy, say highly placed sources.

The increasing frequency of high level Indian intelligence’s secret visits to Afghanistan is indicative of the persistence of a clear and present danger that India, using Afghanistan as a spring board, is brewing up to the detriment of Pakistan’s security. According to well informed sources, during January 2010 Indian Army’s Director General Military Intelligence (DGMI), accompanied by some senior intelligence officers visited Kabul. A surprising aspect of the visit was presence of a dozen or so MOSSAD operatives who accompanied the Indian delegation during their visit to Charikar in Parwan Province where a large number of Baluch dissidents are receiving training. The visit was facilitated by the Afghan Intelligence Chief who remained present during delegations’ interaction with Kabul based officials of Israel and few other countries as well. It is worth recollecting that during 2001-02 period Indian close cooperation with the Afghan Intelligence, dominated by India’s Northern Alliance allies, was instrumental in airlifting of captured Taleban fighters from Charikar and Shibbergan jails, for use as human clay eons to substantiate claims of ‘cross border terrorism’.

According to sources a significant aspect related to Indian delegation’s activities in Kabul was their overbearing emphasis for acquisition of intelligence related to Pakistan’s nuclear capability. This aspect remained under focus during interaction with the Afghan Intelligence Chief as well as briefing of RAW cover officers deputed at the Indian Embassy at Kabul and the four consulates. The Indian DGMI, sources reveal, also visited the NATO Parachute Battalion along with representatives of some other intelligence agencies. Among other subjects, reportedly, the matters regarding Pakistan’s nuclear program also came under discussion.

For India, intensifying intelligence activities in Afghanistan come with a realization that given a post US scenario, India is fast becoming irrelevant to Afghanistan situation. India’s plan of seeking a position of dominance for her Northern Alliance protégées at the cost of Pashtun dominated Taleban, has failed. In US there is an emerging realization that Indian advice and perspective, that guided her war on terror effort since 2001, have compounded the already complex ethnic divisions resulting into sharp divisions and polarization. The London Conference held in January this year has only added to her discomfiture. A flurry of Indian intelligence activities in Afghanistan may not cement her position for the long haul but Pakistan must brace for waves of terrorism to buffet the hinterland in the days to follow, say observers.