Quetta’s Blast, Combing Operation and NAP

Recently Quetta was again the venue of a suicide attack with more than 75 innocent people, most of them lawyers brutally killed. Sentiments of grief, sadness and anger overcome logic which hindered result oriented investigations. A blame game was again activated and conspiracy theories were spread like wild fire. A war of tug became supreme even on national security issues.

No Clarity of Actions
High official and the big brass rushed to Quetta but could not arrive at any wider consensus to eliminate menace of terrorism and its roots from the soil and society of Pakistan alike. A worshipper of democracy remained mum over the issue of “National Action Plan”. Everywhere it was complete confusion, uncertainty and chaos. There was no clarity of words, policies and implementation to tackle the many “sleeper cells” in the country.

Global Resolve against Terrorism
After the “Paris Attack” France promulgated more than 26 laws within a single day and implemented all possible measures and policies to hunt out terrorists whereas Pakistan’s National Action Plan (NAP) has not yet been implemented after lapse of 22 months. China has introduced incentive based mechanism in its secret agencies which proved to be a better strategy to combat terrorism. In Pakistan, even funds have not been allocated to form “NCATA”. USA, after 9/11 totally revisited its security policies and introduced “Homeland Security” concept while the makers in Pakistan wasted time in debates, meetings and statements and we are still divided on the issue of NAP.

Quetta blast and its multiplier effects
The Quetta blast had multiplier effects and serious geo-political and geo-strategic repercussions, it badly produced a serious “dent” in national stance against terrorism andraised serious questions about CPEC security, functionality and durability. The attack was an attempt to undermine the improved security situation of Balochistan, and the effort was specially targeting the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Statement of National Security and Foreign Affairs
Advisor to Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz said that Taliban splinter group, Jamaat-ul Ahrar had assistance of Afghanistan intelligence in carrying out the suicide blast in Quetta’s Civil Hospital that killed 70 people. He said that coordination and cooperation between Indian Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Service is evident. The attack shocked policy makers to revisit their paradigm towards “strategic depth” and again highlighted hidden agenda of “proxy war” being fought on the soil and around Pakistan.

Axis of Evil
The attack again showcased the strong “axis of evil” among the terrorist organizations and their offshoot sanctuaries, polluting so many innocent minds and souls in the region. It also provided proof about strong presence of so many regional secret agencies like RAW, NSA and others in the country. It also showed ISIS “branding war” in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Latest Development on NAP
Finally the government began addressing the military’s concerns about the faltering strategy commonly known as the National Action Plan (NAP) against terrorism. As a first step the government approved a plan for setting up of 29 wings of the Frontier Corps and constituted the body that would oversee the implementation of NAP.

“Twenty-nine new wings of Civil Armed Forces would be established to improve border management and internal security,” said a statement issued by the Prime Minister Office (PMO). It also announced the composition of the NAP Implementation Committee whose establishment had been previously agreed.

The committee to be headed by National Security Adviser retired Lt Gen Nasser Khan Janjua would include Director General Military Operations, Interior Secretary, Director General of National Counter-Terrorism Authority, chief secretaries, inspectors general of police, home secretaries, additional secretary PMO and representatives of intelligence agencies. Moreover, FC would have 29 more wings.

The 29 new FC wings agreed by the prime minister, was the target for this year, whereas 73 new wings have to be established in all. With regard to terrorism financing, the finance ministry and State Bank were asked to take the required actions. The meeting was also agreed on putting in place a mechanism for the implementation of cybercrime laws. The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Bill was last week passed by the National Assembly and is awaiting presidential assent.

Launch of country-wide Combing Operation
Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif presided over the Corps Commanders Conference held at the General Headquarters and ordered the launch of a comprehensive “combing operation” throughout the country. He ordered the intelligence agencies to initiate special combing operations to target those involved in terror attacks.

“A combing operation involves several technical aspects, which involves systematic and thorough search of a pre-defined area in which suspected hostiles are thought to be hiding. Such an operation involves some degree of planning and intelligence gathering before execution”.

Pakistani military’s top brass approved the timeline and operational details of the ‘combing operations’ against terrorists and militant groups, which would involve large-scale army deployments.

The term ‘combing operation’ is a new addition to the Zarb-i-Azb lexicon. The Zarb-i-Azb started as ‘kinetic operations’ in North Waziristan in June 2014, which were later supplemented by ‘intelligence-based operations (IBOs)’ outside the tribal agency, primarily to pre-empt the then much feared backlash against the counter-terrorism campaign. IBOs was a great success during which a large number of terrorists were either apprehended or killed, it turned out to be a major success because it helped in improving security situation throughout the country.

Combing operations, it is said, would be different from IBOs, where security forces acted on specific intelligence information about a terrorist threat. Under the combing operations, military would be deployed in potentially troubled areas and the troops would then seek out terrorists, their sleeper cells and facilitators. The combing operations are led by the army but involve different security forces, including civilian law enforcement agencies. The action would be across the board and without any discrimination.

Preparations for Combing Operation
The military has already done its mapping of trouble spots throughout the country. Now combing operation is being carried out in many parts of the country especially in “urban areas” because of increase in “urban terrorism”. Many metropolitan cities are being searched to arrest terrorists, sleeper cells and their financers and supports alike. More than 250 suspects have been arrested during combing operations conducted across the country after the Quetta blast. Police and security agencies sprung into action after the army chief’s orders and the Police and Rangers took 100 suspects into custody in Karachi alone.

Similarly, search operation was conducted in different areas of Lahore including Civil Lines, Khan Colony, Sherakot, Gulshan Iqbal, Samanabad and Sanda in which more than 50 suspects were arrested and shifted to unidentified locations. 10 suspects were arrested from Khanewal. Search operations were conducted in Rawalpindi, Mianwali and Attock as well. Raid was conducted in Matta area of Swat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on a madrassa in which a suspicious madrassa student was arrested and shifted to a location not disclosed.

Following is the given perspective of different political parties:-

Different Perspectives of NAP
After the Quetta blast another meeting was arranged among the main stakeholders i.e. Army, Civilian Government and Secret Agencies but this ended without any consensus. Marathons meetings achieved merely more division and now it is an established fact that the army and civilian leadership are not on the same page on the issue of war against terrorism. The National Action Plan (NAP) has become ‘National Action Politics and has been derailed due to vested interests of leading political parties namely Pakistan Muslim League (N), PPP, PTI, etc. In the hot pursuit of power politics, NAP has become the “debating center”, unfortunately. It does not represent the collective desire of our national institutions to fight the complex network of terrorists and their constant plans to damage the country at various levels.

The above table shows that divide on the issue of NAP is self-motivated and political oriented. Every political party has its own vested interest to protect. All the political parties and stakeholders should learn some lessons from Turkey’s commitment towards terrorism and its NAP implementation. 

Statement of Chief of Army Staff (CoAS)
According to a statement, Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Raheel Sharif has described the Quetta terror attack as an attempt to undermine improved security in the province and the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). That India is inimical to CPEC is a strong reality, RAW spy Yadav has already spilled the beans insofar as India’s involvement in terror activities in Balochistan and Karachi is concerned. The Quetta blast in which 70 people were killed and 125 injured too seems to be an Indian-sponsored act. Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri has blamed RAW for the Quetta blast. He should now produce evidence to show to the world how India is fomenting terrorism in Balochistan in particular.

1.Research Level
In most of cases of terrorism, it is an established fact that the absence of regular research analysis has lessened secret intelligence agencies performance in the country. It lacks a “conceptual framework” to under the arcane intelligence, its successes and its failures. There is an urgent need to revise perils of intelligence collection, different stages of analysis, contributory internal and external crucial factors and the last but not the least, desired goals of achieving “smarter intelligence”

In so many previous terrorist attacks we have seen “inside involvement,” a Rangers inspector shared important information with militants about the route of then president Gen Pervez Musharraf when he visited Karachi in 2002. There are reports of inside help in the Mehran airbase attack also and some junior level army, navy and air force officials have been convicted of helping militants. The inside help could come from airport workers, contractors, labourers working at the cargo shed, etc.

2. Operational Level
Pakistan’s National Security and its action plan has already laid down parameters of operational level of fight against terrorism which need to be followed and implemented in true letter and spirit. Joint efforts and information sharing among all the agencies is the need of the hour.

The central leadership of the ISIS, TTP, or even the Al Qaeda, only chooses the target and gives the go-ahead for the attacks. But the work of planning, reconnaissance, selection of operatives, their travelling, boarding, etc. is overseen by a different person or a small group of men.

The above diagram clearly shows the importance of knowing the means and modes of different terrorist organizations. Element of “cognitive dissonance” is badly missing in our agencies which has lessened accuracy, early warning, swiftness and computability within the organizations of secret agencies in the country.

New SOPs in Intelligence Agencies
There is an urgent need to rectify pitfalls in our secret agencies intelligence system by identifying different organizational and procedural SOPs. “Reactionary Style Intelligence” does not help to achieve precision, efficacy and element of surprise. There must be pragmatic approach in the different interrelated organizations of secret agencies in the diversified but integrated fields. Moreover, “harbingers of failure” in secret intelligence system need to be rectified. The roots of intelligence failures are “embedded in the intelligence cycle and can only be addressed by collective measures amongst all secret agencies by timely sharing of information.”

Mapping of Sleeper Cells
Sleeper cells would become active whenever the army launched a full-scale operation against their bases in different parts of the country. The only way to counter them is an effective and coordinated intelligence collection mechanism and use of the latest technology.

New Concept in Intelligence Agencies (Induction of ladies)
Although we have unique religious, social, economic, ethnic and racial culture towards womenfolk’s induction in the mainstream of socioeconomic system but there is an urgent need to change the parameters and mechanism of all the secret agencies in order to win the war against terrorism and eradicate sleeper cells in the country.

Proportionate level of all secret agencies need to be rectified because pendulum had has been swinging in favour of “human-based intelligence”. It must be ideal combination of human and technology based intelligence in all its diversified covert operations.

Utility of Ladies in Intelligence Agencies 
We are living in a “web of information” era which has further been revolutionized with the dawn of “social media”. Social media has now become “a new non-state actor/threat” to national security and has become a threat to the country’s ideology, sovereignty and social fabric. The rise to “ISIS” is the byproduct of social media as it uses social media (Facebook, twitter, Skype, Viber and emails etc.) for preaching hatred, recruitment and provocation, etc. Acceptance and presence of ISIS is on the rise each passing day in most of the European countries especially in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK) where a social media mix has played havoc in this regard. Even most of the central Asian countries like (Kazakhstan, Tajikistan) are worried about the rise of ISIS through social media, especially in their youth. So having ladies in secret agencies would further strengthen our counter-terrorism capabilities to cope with ISIS, TTP, Al-Qaeda etc.

Many incidents have been reported recently in national dailies that indicate a “soft corner” and attraction of young boys, girls and women towards the philosophy of ISIS. So having ladies in the secret agencies would further strengthen our resolve against terrorism and especially ISIS. Ladies have better computer skills (BSC Computer Sciences, Psychology and Social Sciences) would be effective in taming wandering souls i.e. women, girls and youth of our country.

Ladies comprising more than 37% are serving in the UK intelligence trio (MI5, MI6 and MI15) which provides essential diversity to improve organizational reputation and encourages much needed innovation. It gives alternative thinking and mechanism to get the desired goals in the associated fields of intelligence. Even the government of India has recently inducted ladies in different fields of army and intelligence. Moreover, Israel’s internal security system has been further strengthened because of induction of ladies in its different intelligence setups.

Following are some suggestions overall our secret agencies:-
i. Cybercrime bill has already been tabled and promulgated where ladies would play a better role by studying the contents of social media
ii. Close liaison with “womanhood” to trace out potential supporters and active members/sleeper cells
iii. Mapping of womanhood sleeper cells through the help of woman intelligentsia
iv. Snooping of almost all religious/Quranic academies run by women
v. Tracing out of white-collar and money laundering crimes
vi. Hacking and analyzing of computer applications and its utilities etc.
vii. Mind controlling sciences is a new concept and ladies could be used and employed
viii. Hybrid warfare badly needs induction of ladies in disguised jobs and assignments
ix. Surveillance/Intelligence officers
x. Foreign language analyst
xi. Electronic technicians
xii. Mobile Surveillance operators

3. Regional Level (Proxy Wars)

Pakistan’s desirable “strategic depth” approach
Pakistan’s desirable “strategic depth” approach in the age of innovation and technological resolution need to be amended. A competitive intelligence and accountability may be useful to move forward. The concept of “counter-intelligence” needs to be institutionalized.

Pakistan: A Flashpoint
Pakistan has remained a flashpoint for so many complex and complicated reasons of socio-economy, geo-political and geo-strategic orientations. It has been hub of proxy wars of many countries through their respective intelligence agencies namely RAW, CIA, MI-6, MOSSAD and NDS who have been covertly operating in the country for so many years. They are very active in the provinces of Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK). Some parts of Southern Punjab, Gilgit and FATA have been targeted especially RAW for some very specific reasons i.e. widespread ethnic rift, sectarian division, sabotage activities and suicidal groups.

Indian proxies pose an internal threat in form of terrorism, militancy, and insurgency, ethnic, religious and secretion conflicts in the country.

RAW’s Basic Information
RAW is a rogue Indian Intelligence Agency having a history of conducting clandestine operations in many countries. Pakistan has been one of its prime targets. Mr. Raman, an ex-Head of the Counter-Terrorism Division in RAW in his book titled “The Kaoboys of RAW, Down Memory Lane” published in 2007 by Lancer Publishers & Distributors, Sarvapriya Vihar, New Delhi describes the fivefold role of RAW in East Pakistan.

Initial Tasks of RAW
These included provision of intelligence to the policy-makers and the armed forces, to train the Bengali freedom fighters in clandestine training camps, to network with Bengali public servants from East Pakistan posted from West Pakistan and in Pakistan’s diplomatic missions abroad and persuade them to cooperate with the freedom-fighters and to help in the freedom struggle by providing intelligence, to mount a special operation in the Chittagong Hill Tract (CHT) against the sanctuaries and training camps of the Naga and Mizo hostiles and to organize a psychological warfare (PSYWAR) campaign against the Pakistani rulers by disseminating reports about the massacres of the Bengalis in East Pakistan and the exodus of refugees. The author concludes that dismemberment of East Pakistan, which led to the birth of Bangladesh, would not have been possible without the active role and close involvement of RAW.

India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) is known for sponsoring terror activities for attaining its objectives. It is engaged in promoting and aiding disruptive elements in Pakistan to destabilize the country.

RAW and Modi’s Government
Under the Modi Government, Ajit Dovel is directly masterminding the operations of RAW while taking dictation from the extremist RSS. Since the rejuvenation of RAW under Hindutva centric BJP’s regime, its anti-Pakistani activities have escalated manifold. RAW, at one hand is abetting anti Pakistani rogue elements including notorious terrorist organizations to weaken Pakistan internally and on the other is leaving no stone unturned in maligning Pakistan internationally. RAW’s links with terrorist organizations, including TTP are well founded. In their reprehensible activities, it even exploits the cover of extremist religious groups to foment terrorist activities and simultaneously propagates to implicate Pakistan.

“According to different published articles and research studies that the present RAW objectives include, and are not limited to, monitoring the political, military, economic and scientific developments in countries which have direct bearing on India’s national security and the formulation of its foreign policy and moulding international public opinion with the help of strong and vibrant Indian Diaspora and to carry out covert operations to safeguard India’s national interests. It also aims to control and limit the supply of military hardware to Pakistan, mostly from European countries, America and more importantly from China”.

RAW’s Sleeper Cells
“Sleeper cell structure is a method for organizing a group of people in such a way that it can more effectively resist penetration by an opposing organization. Depending on the group’s philosophy, its operational area, the communications technologies available, and the nature of the mission, it can range from a strict hierarchy to an extremely distributed organization. It is also a method used by criminal organizations, undercover operatives, and unconventional warfare (UW) led by special forces. Historically, clandestine organizations have avoided electronic communications, because signals intelligence is strength of conventional militaries and counterintelligence organizations”.

RAW is still rigorously conducting covert operations in different parts and segments of Pakistan since its inception. It has developed a network of “sleeper cells” in different parts of the country which act on its instructions from time to time. As reported in many national dailies of English and Urdu, the city of lights, Karachi has become the ideal hub of many sleeper cells due to the many complicated and overlapping socio-economic, geo-political and geo-strategic reasons and motives. Published confessions of many arrested people verified their close liaison in terms of training, supply of money and arms and inspirational guidance from RAW.

Arrest of spymaster Kul Bhushan Yadav: A Great Success
Arrest of spymaster Kul Bhushan Yadav from Pak-Afghan border – Chaman region of Balochistan is a great success of Pakistan’s intelligence agencies. According to security officials, intelligence agencies hunted several members of his chain who were in continuous contact with Bhushan and have strong connections in Balochistan and Karachi. After capturing few members of his network the law enforcement agency reached the big fish of this game. The movements of Yadav were between Afghanistan, Iran and Balochistan and started to mushroom his militant network in Punjab. However, his movements were in surveillance of security forces of Pakistan.

RAW and CPEC
It is also published that the spymaster was willing to damage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) for the last 12 months. Additionally, the enemy agents also wanted to initiate a new wave of sectarian violence in Pakistan and provoking Baloch separatists to detach Balochistan from Pakistan. Yadav also confessed that he was commanding a new series of rebellious operations planned to create chaos in Karachi. He was going to use TTP sleepers and insurgents of militant wings of several political and non-political groups working in Pakistan.

RAW is carrying out subversive activities in Pakistan at a time when Pakistan’s war against terror is in a decisive phase. It has increased its subversive activities in many parts of the country especially Balochistan, KPK and southern Punjab. RAW has been stepping up terrorist activities on Pakistani soil to aid and abet more deadly terror attacks. The intelligence inputs acquired through communication intercepts and human intelligence sources indicate RAW would focus on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, settled areas of the tribal belt, Gilgit Baltistan, Balochistan and Southern Punjab.

The Indian agency would also launch its sleeper cells with the help of NDS in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and tribal areas. The members of the cells are recruited from Afghanistan, mainly from militant groups fleeing from Pakistan during the Swat, South Waziristan operations and the militants crossed the Durand Line during Operation Zarb-e-Azb, Khyber-1 and Khyber-2.

Members of the sleeper cells were allegedly selected from unknown foot soldiers of the outlawed TTP and their affiliates scattered in Afghan provinces of Kunar, Nangarhar, Nuristan and Badakshan. RAW is running training camps with the nod of its Afghan counterpart in the said provinces for “brainwashing” programmes of the newly-selected sleepers to launch them when the time comes.

“They are given training of target killings, bomb blasts, suicide attacks, assaults on civil and military installations and intelligence gathering.”

The political administration of the Kurram Agency, in an intelligence-based operation arrested two RAW-trained NDS sleepers. Foreign currency and uniforms of Levies Force were recovered from them. A 12-member spy ring of RAW starting from bordering town of Bhaseen (Lahore) with its tentacles in other parts of Punjab had also been busted by the intelligence services. In an intelligence-based operation in Karachi, a key secret service along with Counter Terrorism Department Sindh arrested four suspected terrorists who had confessed their links with RAW.

CTD Sindh officials said the arrested had been operating a network for RAW from Karachi, South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore and Dubai. Moreover, Inspector General of Frontier Corps Balochistan Major General Sher Afghan said in a press briefing that Afghan NDS and Indian RAW were fueling terrorism in Balochistan.

A news item was published in the NEWS, International (May 11, 2015) entitled “Special cell set up in RAW to foil Economic Corridor” reconfirmed that RAW had established yet another desk with a special allocation of huge funds at its headquarters on Lodhi Road, New Delhi, to scuttle the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). According to said news item, RAW has been assigned a gigantic assignment to ruin the CPEC, this is the biggest operation after the creation of Bangladesh. In this connection, Pakistan’s intelligence gathering agencies had collected authentic evidence and proof about the designs of RAW that it has already initiated its work. More than $300 million have been earmarked initially for subverting the economic corridor.

In recent years, RAW has shifted its primary focus to Pakistan-China cooperation and has also mustered support from some western agencies for the purpose. Activities and functions of RAW are highly confidential and declassification of past operations are uncommon unlike agencies like CIA, MI6 and Mossad who have many of their activities declassified. The primary mission of RAW includes aggressive intelligence collection via espionage, psychological warfare, subversion, sabotage and assassinations.

Moreover, RAW maintains active collaboration with other secret services in various countries. Its contacts with FSB of Russia, NDS, the Afghan agency, Israel’s Mossad, CIA, and MI6 are well-known, a common interest being Pakistan’s nuclear programme. RAW has been active in obtaining information and operating through third countries like Afghanistan, the UK, Myanmar, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

RAW and Interior Sindh
Historically, RAW invoked anti-state and pro-Indian sentiment in the impoverished class that was severely oppressed by the local feudal lords. To shore up this process a foothold was afforded to RAW by GM Sayyed while other Sindhi pro-autonomy parties were also engaged by RAW. As a result an independence movement for so called “Sindhudesh” backed by India’s Lok Sabha and financial sponsored by RAW was set off.

RAW in Karachi
With the passage of time, RAW reached out and involved MQM and thereafter managed to pit Urdu speaking people and Sindhis against each other by whipping up gripes and complaints amongst the two groups. Most of the recently arrested terrorists/sleeper cells are from the city of Karachi which reconfirms RAW’s deep involvement in big cities of Pakistan. Moreover, target killings that have been taking place in Karachi since 2008 to date urged PPP and ANP to establish independent combative groups to offset MQM’s reign of terror to completely dominate and run the city are also espoused by RAW.

RAW in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
RAW consolidated its presence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by using ties of the members of the Indian Congress with the local political party called Awami National Party (ANP) that demanded a separate state called Pukhtunistan. Both the leaders of Sindh and the North West Frontier Province (as KP was known then) vouched India they would forestall the construction of Kala Bagh Dam which is pending to date.

RAW in Balochistan
RAW also gained access to Balochistan through Afghanistan in 1973 amidst mutiny therein and in cahoots with KGB (Russian intelligence) and KHAD (Afghan intelligence) endorsed the rebellion until 1978. After a two year hiatus, RAW, in collaboration with KGB and a terrorist organization created by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) called “Al Zulfiqar” executed rigorous covert operations of destruction and sedition in opposition to the state of Pakistan till 1989 when the Soviet Union was finally routed. It is now deeply engaged with Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Baloch Republican Army (BRA) and Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) for destabilizing Balochistan and stop ongoing mega development projects in different parts.

RAW in Southern Punjab
RAW also developed nexus with a splinter group in Southern Punjab for an independent Saraikistan. After Karachi most of the sleeper cells are now from Southern Punjab because of RAW. High intensity of sectarian and ethnic conflicts are being financed and sponsored by RAW.

RAW in Gilgit
RAW financially and militarily sponsored and trained selected local people to be engaged in different target killings, kidnapping of Chinese workers/engineers, international tourists and sabotage activities to defame the soft image of Pakistan on the international stage. It has close liaison even with Iran Secret Agency in these areas for some very specific reasons based on faith, ethnicity and geographic domination.

RAW in FATA
RAW purposefully engaged Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) for multidimensional tasks. RAW is engaged in a “hybrid war” in Pakistan and is using all traditional as well as modern means, modes and mediums to harm Pakistan. The following are its given “Probable Techniques” and “Modus Operandi” in the country.

i. Probable Techniques
i. Innovative Funding channels
ii. Financial support & Monetary Gains
iii. Foreign trips/Visa etc.
iv. Economic terrorism
v. Fueling of Shia-Sunni rift (interior Punjab), Wahabi-Non-Wahabi differences etc.
vi. Projection of wrong notions against partition, personality of Quaid-e-Azam.
vii. Projection of cultural liberalism through showbiz, event management companies, leftists etc.
viii. Sleeper Cells (Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Kashmir etc.
ix. Alliances with so-called Jihadis factions against Pakistan
x. Projection of virtual reality through exploitation of sex etc.
xi. Provision of different incentives commonly acceptable to different sects, facts, ethnic groups etc.
xii. Regional alliance to NDS, KGB, Uzbek terrorist organization, and Iran Secret Security Agency especially in Balochistan etc.
xiii. Close liaison with feudal lords
xiv. Close coordination with Tablighi Jamaat and Deobandi scholars etc.

ii. Modus Operandi
Indian RAW is carrying out subversive activities in Pakistan and it has speeded-up its diversified operations at a time when Pakistan’s war against terror is in a decisive phase.

Main Focus/Current Preference
To sabotage ongoing development of Pak-China Economic Corridor, widening of sectarian rift, targeting killing, support Balochistan’s nationalists and separatists, terrorist activities, etc. RAW is running training camps adjacent to Afghanistan’s soil in the provinces of KPK, and Balochistan for brainwashing programmes of the newly-selected sleepers to launch the same when the time comes.

Sources of Information:
Human Shield/intelligence, sleeper cells, NGOs (especially dealing with women empowerment, child abuse, moderate Pakistan, human rights), Think-Tanks (Democracy, Conflict Resolution, Peace Dialogue, selected members of so-called Civil Society).

Close ally of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in most of the Southern Punjab & Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) Central Punjab & Karachi, Baloch Sub Nationals (BSNs) in Balochistan.

Mini Great Game and Pakistan
Another side of the proxy war is “Mini Great Game” against Pakistan i.e. India-Afghanistan-Iran nexus in form of extremism, Taliban insurgency, Baloch separatism and massive political violence.

National Action Plan would be logical reply to sectarian divide in the country that is flared and sponsored by Iran-Saudi rivalry.

Emerging Security Threats
(a) Rise of ISIS (many students and teachers of University of Punjab have been arrested and charged)
(b) Threats to CPEC (Special formation of cell in RAW, close collaboration with NDS)
(c) Threats to Gwadar Seaport (Many regional countries do not want its operations)
(d) Urbanization of Terrorism
(e) Rise to Cybercrimes (hacking, snooping, etc.)
(f) Economic terrorism (money laundering, undocumented forex companies)
(g) Weak Border Management
(h) Sleeper Cells
(i) Balochistan unrest
(j) Spillover repercussions of deteriorating law and order situation in Afghanistan

Following steps must be initiated as soon as possible:-
(a) Reforming school curriculum and madrasas
(b) Improving policy capacity and further strengthening of intelligence system
(c) Baloch Insurgency: Development, ownership and political dialogue, reconciliation, amnesty and compensation for losses and mini use of force when it is required
(d) Denial to regional proxies in our social, political and religious space
(e) Functional directorate of internal security DIS under NACTA all girds of tactical, operational, strategic intelligence along with civil and military under one roof
(f) Formation of Federal Rapid Response Force
(g) Counter terrorism must integrate mosques and madrasas in national, provincial educational establishment
(h) Country wide arms control regime
(i) Prevent cybercrime, misuse of mobile phone and social media
(j) Robust border control
(k) Establishment of special trail court under military officer
(l) Forbid all armed and banned organisations
(m) Elimination of hatred literature
(n) Elimination of economic terrorism
(o) Register and regulate seminaries
(p) Dismantle terrorist networks
(q) Reforming criminal laws for intelligence operations as in USA and EU
(r) Stop of bad governance
(s) Corruption
(t) Elimination of poverty
(u) Due to age of hybrid warfare and complexity of geopolitics, pragmatic foreign policy is must
(v) Proper orientation of human intelligence
(w) Formation of community policing and intelligence
(x) Formation of regional analysis centers in all intelligence services

Concluding Remarks
Quetta’s blast has once again exposed denial of National Action Plan (NAP) but thanks God now the civilian government responded and formed a monitoring committee alongwith other measures to make it functional as soon as possible.

Pakistan has remained one of the prime targets for many power brokers in the region. It has been hub of proxy wars for many years in the past. Now, government has wisely decided not to allow using of its soil for any misadventure in the future. Its new approach towards its socio-economic growth, development of strategic assets like Gwadar Seaport and the last but not the least, CPEC has once again started unending blame game and race of power politics in the region. Vested interests of other regional countries have collided with the national security and sovereignty of Pakistan. It has already created sense of “conflicting euphoria”.

Moreover, far-reaching geo-political and geo-strategic repercussions of even Yemen, Syria, and Iraq have raised certain security threats to Pakistan which need to be balanced through parametric foreign policy. Deteriorating law and order situation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has signaled a “wake-call” to our national security apparatus. Ongoing war among different factions of Taliban and Afghan government has also created feelings of insecurity among policy makers and especially security experts. The ongoing but indigenous movement of Kashmir has altogether changed the “security paradigm” in the region and Pakistan has been on receiving end.

On the domestic fronts “theory of political supremacy” has badly delayed the implementation of NAP. Military and civilian government are not at same page which needs to be achieved as soon as possible and by announcing formation of 29 wings of FC and monitoring committee, it will get started. Operation “Karachi Clean-up” is essential to move forwards because majority of the “sleeper cells” are reportedly in different parts of Karachi.

Preemptive strikes and counter-intelligence system would be useful to crack down sleeper cells in the country. Lots of administrative, legal and geographical maneuverings are needed to marginalize the presence of rogue elements in the society. RAW’s sponsorship and supported sleeper cells may be dismantled by using “Bahrain Model” for a planned settlements in these areas.

Urbanization of terrorism is very dangerous and has multidimensional security concerns in the country. It indicates failures on part of “policing system” in all the provinces. Model of “community policing” of central Asian countries need to be studied to eradicate menace of terrorism form our cities. Close liaison among secret agencies and police is must to make our cities more saver and securer.

Pakistan is badly lacking “security culture” due to which we have to pay great sacrifices. More than sixty thousands people have been killed and yet no concrete effort has been initiated to institutionalize security culture. Security culture is a way of life to deal with strangers, protect life and property, safeguard secrets and privacies in day and day out dealings. Central Asian countries are the best example to follow in this regard. It may be gradually increased through the help of community watch-dogs and volunteers.

Pakistan has long porous borders which are creating security problems. There is an urgent need to reevaluate our “border management system”. Pakistan has thoroughly discussed border management with Iran and Afghanistan and started some security measures for achieving befitting propositions for all the stakeholders. Jordan has excellent border management system. It has already installed solar-powered fences to protect its borders.

Islam stands for peace and harmony. It also stands for nonviolence then why majority of Islamic madrassas are worried about inspection, joining the mainstream and change of syllabus. Moreover, there is an urgent need to dismantle the wrong perception towards students of Islamic madrassas who have already been tagged a potential terrorist.

There are no specific thumb rules with regards to social background, gender, intellectual level, education, skill or economic background to suggest the making of a terrorist. In fact most terrorists happen to be people from affluent backgrounds, highly skilled and educated, possessing good academic grades, showing exceptional capabilities at work, possessing great ability to plan and co-ordinate with precision, and sometimes also exhibit deep piety and faith in the almighty. The Safoora massacre is the prime example where highly educated young students planned and executed such a deadly terrorist attack.

Formation of solid “national narrative” against terrorism is the need of the hour. Mere songs of children could not achieve substantial results. It must be combination of policies, programs, gestures, statements, executions and above all strong political will to eliminate terrorism from the soil of Pakistan.

There is a great need to re-organize internal protocols of all the secret agencies namely ISI, MI and IB. Keeping in view rapidly emerging geo-political and geo-strategic conflicting realities, the role and scope of military intelligence (MI) must be widened. Its regional presence should be increased. It would pay its dividends in terms of better security system, information sharing and counter-intelligence system.

Formation of a smarter intelligence system in the ranks of police would be very effective to cope with terrorists. In this regard, Turkish assistance may be sought which has excellent policing system. All the “red-lines” and “red-areas” must be destroyed. If not full operations, surgical operations must be kicked-off at once in Southern Punjab, interior Sindh and Baluchistan.

Personnel of secret agencies are “unsung heroes” who really deserve appreciation and respect. Induction of security analysts is a must in all the security agencies centers. Moreover, de-politicizing of police and IB may further strengthen our resolve against terrorism. There is urgent need to introduce elements of merit, accountability and transparency in all sphere of governance.