Pakistan has once again tried to dodge its responsibility for the crisis in restive Balochistan by trying to pin the blame on India. Pakistan Army and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi alleged that the attackers in Balochistan had India's support.
Reacting to the allegations, Randhir Jaiswal, Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, called the allegations baseless and categorically rejected them. Jaiswal also pressed that the allegations were "nothing but its usual tactics to deflect attention from its own internal failings."
Jaiswal also advised Pakistan to address the long-standing demands of Baloch, instead of suppressing the dissent and violating human rights.
What is happening in Balochistan?
Pakistan's restive Balochistan is yet again in the news as the militants of Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), who call themselves 'Sarmachars' (freedom fighters), have launched attacks on Pakistan forces in at least 10 cities under Operation Heroff II. Pakistan had responded with a fierce gunfight that lasted for over 40 hours.
BLA's official media channel, Hakkal, has claimed to kill 200 Pakistani personnel and taken temporary control over several areas. However, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti on Sunday claimed that at least 200 people, including 145 BLA militants, 31 civilians and 17 security personnel, were killed in the operaion.
Why does Pakistan keep India for Balochistan issue?
Pakistan has been facing allegations of human rights abuses and the use of death squads to abduct, kill, and torture activists, students, doctors and other vocal voices, primarily to curb dissent and exploit rich minerals and resources in the region.
This has led to resentment among the people, which is often reflected in low voter turnout in the largest province. From militancy to peaceful protests, Baloch are resisting Pakistani atrocities.
To paint it as a national security issue rather than a domestic issue, Pakistan continues to pin the blame on India.
It tries to validate the claim by exploiting the case of retired Navy official Kulbhushan Jadhav, who remains in Pakistan's custody, facing fake espionage charges.
After Jadhav's arrest in an alleged espionage case, Pakistan had released his purported confession video, where he alleged the Indian intelligence agency RAW's involvement in destabilising Pakistan. The video also shows Jadhav alleging that RAW was funding the Baloch separatists for the Balochistan insurgency.
India has denounced the video, calling it fake and doctored. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju claimed, "It is a completely doctored video, a fake video made by Pakistan. They are just cooking up stories and doctoring videos to defame India."
What is India's stand on Balochistan?
Like the latest statement by the MEA, India has constantly denied any role in the Baloch insurgency. Though Pakistan has been making malicious accusations, it has always fallen short of providing evidence to substantiate its claims.
On the front of addressing the Baloch issue, India had maintained an ambiguous silence until 2016, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke a long tradition and mentioned Balochistan in his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort.
He had said, "Today from the ramparts of Red Fort, I want to greet and express my thanks to some people. In the last few days, people of Balochistan, Gilgit, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have thanked me, have expressed gratitude, and expressed good wishes for me."
However, the tilt was short-lived, as since then, India has maintained a calculated restraint, calling out atrocities each time Pakistan mentions a fabricated story of India's role.