Terror on the Tracks

Acts of terror in Pakistan are galloping in leaps and bounds. Only the other day, columns in this very newspaper carried a detailed analysis of the repeated terror incidents in the country. Crucially, soon after that, on March 11, the Jaffar Express, a train ferrying 440 passengers from Quetta (Baluchistan) to Peshawar, faced an unprecedented crisis when activists from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) hijacked the train and detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) as it was passing through a tunnel with high mountains in the backdrop.

Subsequently, the security agencies were flummoxed and at a complete loss as to how to deal with this complex, terror-linked problem. However, detachments from the Army’s Frontier Corps (FC), Special Forces, and Pakistani Rangers were summoned, battling for more than two days to rescue the hostages. The perpetrators from the BLA were so determined and committed to their separatist cause that they had embarked on a suicide mission. Thirteen of them were killed by the security forces, and some members of the forces also lost their lives in the long anti-terrorist operation they had undertaken.

Now, it is time to analyse how the BLA succeeded in this siege of the train while the security forces were caught napping. First and foremost, there was a glaring intelligence failure. Baluchistan has been in the spotlight due to repeated terror attacks, not only within the province but also in Karachi and its fringes, where armed activists often target Chinese nationals engaged in various joint projects. This has incurred the wrath of the Chinese government, which has criticised the Pakistani establishment’s failure to ensure security, especially in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) region. Yet, the intelligence apparatus failed to detect this major plot.

Moreover, since Baluchistan has long been a hotbed of violent activities, what were the intelligence agencies doing? The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), local Special Bureau, and the State Intelligence of the province all failed to get any whiff of the plans to target the Jaffar Express. The FC is headquartered there—was there no functional coordination between these multiple agencies? It seems the agencies have neither taken nor are taking things seriously. It’s a pathetic state of affairs, to say the least.

Frustrated with their failure to prevent a string of violent terrorist attacks, the Army and other authorities have once again resorted to their old game of blaming India. Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director General (DG) of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), warned in a media release on March 14 that terrorists and their enablers would be challenged inside and outside the country. Baluchistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti, eager not to lag behind, also blamed India and the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) for allegedly sponsoring terrorism.

The higher political and security echelons, out of sheer desperation, are now claiming that they have intercepted communications tracing the origin of the terror planning to Afghanistan while insinuating India’s involvement. Their rhetoric also indicates a potential change in rules, threatening India with reprisals. We now see frustration coming full circle, coupled with helplessness, in the wake of a series of terror strikes.

In the meantime, the Foreign Office (FO) of Pakistan has also started categorically blaming India for orchestrating terror attacks, particularly in Baluchistan. They are echoing the statements of the ISPR to stay in sync in targeting India. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), however, was quick to reject these claims and allegations coming from Pakistani agencies.

Pakistan's media is full of criticism of its government for its abject failure to contain terror assaults, which are occurring in a pattern and at regular intervals. Muhammad Amir Rana, a security analyst, writing in a popular daily on March 16, has called for robust Sino-Pak security cooperation to combat issues of terrorism that are also adversely affecting Chinese interests in Pakistan. He recommends that training, intelligence sharing, and other multidisciplinary aspects be jointly addressed to secure Pakistan’s infrastructural interests on land, sea, and air.

In the meantime, another daring terror attack took place on March 16, targeting a bus carrying Army personnel in Noshki, Baluchistan, killing three FC personnel and two civilians in a suicide attack. The President and Prime Minister of Pakistan have condemned the attack, as has Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

Judging by the slew of terror attacks in Baluchistan, in particular, and also in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan's counterterrorism outfits and intelligence mechanisms appear to be in tatters. The security managers seem clueless and without any roadmap. That’s why they conveniently put the blame on India instead of putting their own house in order. The general public is politically aware these days, and repeated terror offensives are causing them to lose confidence in both their political leaders and the powerful military. These are not good signs for Pakistan. Those in power should respond to the frequent wake-up calls delivered through these lethal attacks. If they remain unheeded, the consequences could be costly for the nation.

The writer is a retired IPS officer, Adviser NatStrat, and a former National Security Advisor in Mauritius. Views expressed are personal