There was a time when Balochistan was considered as the most vulnerable province of Pakistan. This vulnerability consisted of socio-economic, political and security indicators. What contributed most to its vulnerability was the security situation of the province. According to statisticsand various reports, Balochistan was once among the deadliest places in Pakistan. The reason was the extreme insurgency wave and outrageous terrorism inthe province. The entire contour was equipped with target killings, insurgency, terrorism, kidnapping and ransom crimes resulting in no-go areas throughout the area. The situation became more perilous when children and women of the misguided started supporting insurgents. The province remarkably consisted of insurgent families, where psychological warfare was at its peak.
In the past decade, the countless efforts of the Pakistan Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) have resulted in an obvious decline of the insurgency.. Now, these militants are on the run and no-go areas are non-existent in Balochistan. Massive credit goes to the Armed Forces and their precise Intelligence Based Operations (IOBs).
Following these achievements, General Sir Nicholas Patrick Carter, Chief of General Staff (CGS) UK Army, arrived on a two-day official visit to Pakistan recently. Visiting Balochistan along with Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa was the highlight of his trip. In his visit to the province, he praised Pakistan Army’s role in combating terrorism and specifically admired the crucial task of fencing of Pak-Afghan Border. The UK CGS said, “recent measures taken along the Pak-Afghan Border including the fencing for improvement in border control will limit terrorism in Pakistan”. It is pertinent to mention that the outliers, terrorists and insurgents are working on the pay role of hostile countries. Balochistan shares a porous border with Afghanistan from where almost every major attack in Balochistan was planned and executed.
Furthermore, during this visit, the UK Chief also hailed ‘”Paigham-e-Pakistan Fatwa”, which shall have far-reaching effects against the extremist narrative. Pakistan issued this fatwa to clear the minds of people from a religious perspective. Regarding this, the major threat was in Balochistan as the trans-regional non-state entity Islamic State (IS) is pledging ideological alliance with Lashkar e Jhangvi (LeJ) in the province. Hence, this fatwa served as a checkmate from the country against religious fanatics. These efforts have reduced sectarian killings in the province.
Also, during this important visit, the COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa highlighted the need for collective action within a collaborative framework to help encourage peace and stability in the region. The whole protocol also visited the Girdi Jungle, which is one of the famous places in Balochistan. The history of this jungle is confined around the Afghan refugees. After the Soviet-Afghan war, around 60,000 Afghans migrated to this place and with time the whole area turned into a criminal hub of narco-activities facilitating both smugglers and terrorists. They carried out businesses with Afghanistan being originally from there. The heroic achievements of Pakistan Armed Forces made it possible to clear out this place. The delegation was briefed about it, signifying the efforts of Pakistan Army against terrorism, along with the Khushhal Balochistan project.
Overall, this international visit of UK high dignities dignitaries managed to portray a highly positive image of Balochistan in the international arena.
