In a recent interview with Carlotta Gall published in New York Times Brahumdagh Bugti, the grandson of Nawab Akbar Bugti and founder of two terrorist outfits i.e. Balochistan Republican Party (BRP) and Balochistan Republican Army (BRA), has tried to project his soft image. He distanced himself from armed insurgency in Balochistan; nevertheless he dreamt of its freedom and maintained that he was not a terrorist but a political leader. He also offered to resign from his membership of central committee of BRP. In all probability, these statements have been given to make it easier for the Switzerland authorities to grant him asylum. He had slipped into Afghanistan along with his family upon the death of Nawab Akbar Bugti in 2006. Amrullah Saleh a close confidante of President Hamid Karzai and then Director of National Directorate of Security (NDS), the Afghan intelligence agency provided him and his sympathisers with necessary protection and support. For the purpose about fifty houses were rented and Afghan officials were deputed to look after them. There is no wonder that he described Amrullah Saleh like a brother to him in the interview. This move by Afghan intelligence agency provided Brahumdagh Bugti with a safe haven in Kabul from where he continued with his nefarious activities in Pakistan through his BRA activists. They remained involved in IED attacks, target killing, kidnapping for ransom, bomb blasts etc. to unleash a reign of terror in the province of Balochistan. On the other end, President Hamid Karzai continued to deny Brahumdaghs presence in Afghanistan. Zeit a German Newspaper had reported that luck favoured Brahumdagh when FBI Director Robert Muller met with the Minister of Interior of Afghanistan and Pakistan on 24 February 2010 in Islamabad. There was a proposal to barter Mullah Berader with Brahumdagh Bugti. The deal failed to materialise as US ambassador to Pakistan played cautious in view of American interests in Balochistan. That clearly reflects on his linkages with them and his plausible utility in stirring trouble in the province some time in future. Though he is trying to put up an innocent face in Geneva, he personally remained involved in crimes like killing of law enforcement officials, illegal possession of explosive substances, kidnapping for ransom, harbouring criminals and for undertaking different acts of terrorism. For which a number of FIRs have been lodged against him. His family background, anti Pakistan stance and criminal record made him an ideal candidate to be recruited by hostile intelligence agencies. That is what exactly has happened. In all probability he has linkages with RAW. It is very difficult for an ordinary Pakistani to get Indian visa. On the contrary the family of Brahumdagh visited India and stayed at expensive Delhi International Hotel. The German newspaper had disclosed that Brahumdagh Bugti while at Kabul had contacted UNHCR to get away from Afghanistan as staying there had become exceedingly dangerous for him and his family. The paper opted not to divulge as to who supported him and his family in eventually coming to Switzerland and termed it as a mystery. However, sources privy to these developments have confided on the condition of anonymity that Brahumdagh travelled from Afghanistan to UAE and than subsequently to Geneva on an Afghan passport with a fake name of Ibrahim son of Rehan. One can easily understand who could have provided him and his family with fake travel documents. After all Amrullah Saleh then chief of Afghan intelligence agency was like a brother to him. It wasnt Afghans only those who supported him. During his stay in Kabul, Peter Stormberg affiliated with UNHCR in Kabul and a CIA operator developed links with Brahumdagh. Reportedly, Peter Stormberg presently posted as Chief Security Officer at UNHCR office in Geneva and a member of Indian mission in Geneva and a RAW operator Counsellor Raj Williams are actively facilitating Brahumdagh in settling down and acquiring UN refugee status or asylum in Switzerland. It is learned that Brahumdagh was paid an amount of $7 million to pursue creation of Greater Balochistan by creating unrest in Pakistan and Iran. He is maintaining his accounts with Swiss Bank UBS at Geneva and Lussanne under a private client banking facility. There is no wonder that he is having a rollicking time in Geneva. He lives in a villa having rent of about Rs 800,000 per month and enjoys himself in luxurious night clubs. Expensive life style that he pursues is certainly beyond the reach of an exiled self-proclaimed chieftain having no source of income. His soft stance towards Pakistan in the backdrop of his track record and irrefutable linkages with hostile intelligence agencies needs to be scrutinised with suspicion. In all probability he is playing a ruse to seek asylum in Switzerland. Nevertheless, possibility of his engaging in a political dialogue cannot be ruled out. However, there is little evidence that he would be operating on his own and has genuine desire to have a negotiated peace in Balochistan. His mentors may be contemplating to send him back to Pakistan to add steam to the ongoing anti-state and terrorist activities and to subsequently use his cadaver to add fuel to the fire. That can take insurgency in Balochistan to new heights. Pakistan needs to be more responsive to these developments. Brahumdagh is an established radical. Probably it is for this reason that Swiss authorities are indecisive and havent granted him asylum so far. That is a wise step, because in this age of information and connectivity truth cannot remain hidden for long. Harbouring such rogue characters can be dangerous. He might opt to mastermind terrorism from Geneva using it as safe haven after seeking asylum that will strain relations between Pakistan and Switzerland and lower the credibility of the Swiss government in the eyes of its own populace. In any case Switzerland authorities will be prudent enough to realise that supporting a terrorist will give rise to terrorism and some day it might hurt them also. Moreover, GWOT is a collective undertaking where every nation has to play its part by denouncing extremism and extremists. One only hopes that Swiss authorities will take principle based stand rather than succumbing to different pressures. The author is a freelance Journalist.