In a marked departure, Pakistan on Friday steered clear of accusing India of stirring trouble in strife-torn Balochistan. Despite repeated leading questions pointing to Pakistan's earlier stance that India had a role in destabilizing Balochistan, Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit refused to be provoked; maintaining that the government did not want to engage in public recrimination at this juncture.
Fielding questions on Balochistan at the routine briefing of the Foreign Office, Mr. Basit's reply to questions on the involvement of foreign hands in the situation in the province was: “There has been evidence of this. Let us not talk about this now. The Government is cognizant of this and the Government is eager to handle this politically.''
Asked why Baloch separatist leaders took asylum in Europe when Pakistan has traditionally blamed India of supporting them, the spokesman said: “Without blaming any country, there has been evidence of foreign powers trying to destabilize Balochistan. At this stage, it is better not to engage in public recrimination because the Government is working very hard to resolve our own internal problems politically.”
On being reminded of the mention of Balochistan in the joint statement issued by India and Pakistan after the two prime ministers met at Sharm-el-Sheikh in Egypt in July 2009 and whether the Foreign Office's refusal to point the accusing finger at New Delhi now reflected a shift in policy, Mr. Basit said: “There has been evidence but we do not want to take names at this juncture;” adding that Pakistan expected other countries not to interfere in its internal affairs.
For long Pakistan has accused India of fishing in the troubled waters of Balochistan — where the demand for independence is gathering steam — but the Indian Government's counter has been that evidence had not been furnished by Islamabad till date.
And, before the Baloch Republican Party chief Baramdagh Bugti moved to Switzerland last year, Islamabad repeatedly claimed that he had been given an Indian passport and was living in Afghanistan with the backing of New Delhi and Kabul. In fact, the Pakistani refrain is that Nawabzada Bugti moved to Switzerland only when relations between Kabul and Islamabad began improving.
Keywords: Indo-Pak relations, Balochistan unrest, Baramdagh Bugti
it is very annoying to hear racialist remarks between india pakistan, its people or it government representatives are same, can you not live side by side, pakistanis know our ancestors are from india. and india should we are its children too. so i'm giving a simple idea. if you are willing to listen? Wake_ up. your governments representatives go around the world to get nuclear-deterrence. could you not look around to see? how so many different nationals live in European country, religions and casts, living side by side. may god give you some common sense.
Fruits of democracy in our neighbour has started to show results in spite of problems of day to day living in Pakistan.Like our ruling class engaging in various issues of corruption like 2G scam,ISRO scam, fodder scam etc, the Pakistan's policians are also engaging in similar activities.But threats of war is more dangerous and helps in promoting corruption.Because the expenditures in defence and related activities are not publicly audited.
Ms. Anita Joshua is almost trying to put words in Mr. Basit's mouth. Pakistan's assertion that India is fomenting trouble in Baluchistan is false. India was not proactive in terms of giving strong rebuttals to Pakistan's claim on this issue. In international policies you fail do that, the charge sticks. I afraid India is not as adroit as Pakistan when it comes to these issues. The people of Baluchistan has no commonality to the people of Pakistan. Part of Baluchistan was with Afghanistan that the British won for the united India and then the other part of it from the princely state of Kalat was merged to a larger Baluchistan, we know today in Pakistan. Perhaps, India's role may be minimal in Baluchistan as opposed to that of USA and Israel (yes, Israel). The later two are coordinating events in that part of the World with disgruntled Iranians (in Baluchistan) to destabilize the mullahs in Tehran. How come Pakistan is not acknowledging it? That is the fact.
Yes accuse India for interfering in Balochistan where the leaders have been tortured and killed, while interfere in Kashmir openly and support terror outfits to foment trouble in India. Typical behaviour by Pakistan.
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