India has intensified proxy-war, says Munir as Baloch rebels hit Pak forces hard

India Today

6 days ago

As the heat rises in Balochistan, so does the finger-pointing at India. Days after the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for killing three members of Pakistan's military-intelligence establishment's "death squad", Army Chief Asim Munir accused India of intensifying its proxy war against Pakistan. He said India's intensifying the "proxy war" was a result of its "defeat" in the May mini-war.advertisementThough blaming India for its internal strife is an old tactic of Pakistan's military establishment, this has become recurrent since the rebellion in Balochistan gained momentum in the last few months, and attacks on Pakistani forces increased.Interacting at an army workshop in Balochistan, General Munir referred to India, accusing New Delhi of backing "terror proxies" in what he called a failed "bid to undermine Balochistan's patriotism", the ISPR said on Wednesday.
Munir claimed that "India's actions" were a response to its "defeat in the Marka-e-Haq", framing age-old unrest in the restive province as an orchestrated conspiracy.Munir's rhetoric echoes a statement by the Director General of ISPR, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, who headed Pakistan's disinformation campaign against India's Operation Sindoor and is the son of a nuclear scientist who tried to hand over nuclear weapons technology to al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden.In a recent interview with Al Jazeera, Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) was "the chief financier behind attacks like the Jaffar Express bombing in March 2025".The Pakistan Army and its chief Asim Munir's familiar tune of branding terrorists as "Indian proxies" is part of the well-worn playbook the establishment uses to deflect blame on India. Earlier this week, the Pakistani Army, led by Munir, blamed India for a "terrorist attack" in Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, that killed 16 soldiers. India has swiftly hit back, firmly "rejecting the allegation with the contempt it deserves".BALOCH INSURGENTS RAMP UP ATTACKS ON PAK FORCESThe Baloch Liberation Army and other armed insurgent groups, fighting for an independent Balochistan, have intensified their campaign against Pakistani forces, with Balochis even raising the flag of freedom in defiance.Last week, days before the BLA killed three "death squad" members, it said its fighters killed another operative linked to Pakistan's military-intelligence apparatus.On July 23, BLA insurgents stopped and set fire to a vehicle transporting supplies to a military camp in Balochistan.Around the same time, a powerful blast targeted a railway track in Sibi district, causing damage to the rails and disrupting the Bolan Mail train service, reported The Balochistan Post. Rail operations have since been suspended. Earlier this year, the Bolan Mail was hijacked, with several Pakistan Army and Rangers personnel reportedly on board at the time.advertisementOn May 8, the BLA claimed responsibility for two attacks in Balochistan, killing 14 Pakistani soldiers, including two special operations commanders, using a remote-controlled IED.Coinciding with the surge in attacks on Pakistani forces and infrastructure, there has been a disturbing spike in the forced disappearances of Baloch activists, including elderly people and women, at the hands of state-backed operatives. In one chilling incident, three Baloch men abducted by the death squads were found dead, their faces mutilated with acid beyond recognition.This underscores the growing desperation and brutality of the Pakistani military under Asim Munir in the face of mounting pressure.BLAMING INDIA FOR TERRORISM IS PAK'S OLD TACTICPakistan's accusations against India appear to be a strategic move to externalise its internal security challenges."...In order to divert attention from its reputation as the global epicentre of terrorism and to hide its own gross failings, it has become second nature to Pakistan to blame India for all its internal issues. This attempt to hoodwink the world is doomed to fail," MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on May 21.advertisementThe BLA's increasingly sophisticated attacks, including the 71 coordinated strikes across 51 locations in May, have exposed vulnerabilities in Pakistan's military control over Balochistan. By blaming India, Munir and the establishment aim to rally domestic support and deflect criticism of their failure to address Baloch's grievances over resource exploitation and political marginalisation.The BLA, however, has rejected claims of being an Indian proxy, has asserted its autonomy and accused Pakistan's ISI of fostering terrorism.- EndsMust Watch