"Pakistan has shot itself in the foot": Experts slam Islamabad's terror policies amid attacks in Balochistan

New Delhi [India], March 17 (ANI): The recent attacks by Baloch insurgents in Pakistan have exposed terrorism within the country and highlighted the 'lack of preparedness' of its military, Major General GD Bakshi (Retd) said on Sunday. He criticised Pakistan's long-standing use of terrorism as a state policy, saying, "Pakistan has shot itself in the foot by making terrorism an instrument of state policy."
Speaking with ANI about the recent attack on a Frontier Corps (FC) convoy in Balochistan- just a week after the Jaffar Express hijacking- Major General Bakshi said, "Till now, they were exporting terror. The vultures of terror that they had nurtured for outsiders are now destroying Pakistan itself."
He further said that this crisis is Pakistan's own doing and that foreign countries, including India, cannot intervene in its internal conflicts. "This is the fault of Pakistan, and they have to face the consequences. Foreign countries cannot do anything about this. What can India do?" he said.
Major General Dhruv C Katoch (Retd) questioned the preparedness of the Pakistan military in handling the growing insurgency, saying that the army lacks the capability to defend all its territory. "It is about the BLA being able to carry out this attack so soon after the hijacking of the Pakistani train, and the Pakistani military is still figuring out how to react to this... I think they lack the capability to defend every piece of their territory, and there are going to be many attacks in the future that they may not be able to counter," he said.
He suggested that Pakistan should make a political settlement with the Baloch people to prevent an escalating conflict that could leave the Pakistani army at a disadvantage. "Their solution lies in coming to a political settlement with the Baloch people, failing which, the battle might surge into a serious confrontation where the Pakistani army might be the loser," he said.
On reports of Baloch insurgents killing Pakistani Army personnel, foreign affairs expert Robinder Sachdeva accused Pakistan of exploiting Balochistan's natural resources while neglecting the region's development. He said that this conflict might get worse in future.
"This was expected and will worsen in the future because Pakistan never gave attention to Balochistan and exploited its natural resources, outsourcing its mineral resources and assets to China for warm water ports, thinking of it as a barren land... Pakistan army started suppressing the people there and tormented them while there was already a lack of water and other basic necessities there," Sachdeva said.
On Sunday, a terrorist attack on a Frontier Corps (FC) convoy in Balochistan's Noshki district left five people dead, including three FC personnel and two civilians, Dawn reported.
The banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack, which involved an explosion followed by a suicide bombing. Security forces responded quickly, killing four terrorists, including the suicide bomber.
This attack comes just days after the BLA hijacked the Jaffar Express, a train en route from Quetta to Peshawar through the strategic Bolan Valley. The train, carrying over 450 passengers, including 200 security personnel, became the center of a high-stakes standoff between Baloch rebels and Pakistani security forces.
The BLA claimed to have killed 214 hostages and blamed Pakistan's "stubbornness" and "avoidance of negotiations" despite a 48-hour ultimatum. (ANI)