ISLAMABAD - Senate Standing Committee on Defence which met yesterday with its Chairman Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed in the chair was shocked about the multi-layered plans of India’s premier intelligence agency RAW to destabilise Pakistan.
The Committee members were stunned when Defence Secretary Lt Gen (Retd) Alam Khattak and other senior defence officials briefed the committee about the RAW’s activities in Pakistan.
They informed the committee that three Indian consulates are working in Afghanistan to carry out subversive activities in Pakistan with a special cell established to hurt the multi-billion dollars China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
Army Chief General Raheel Sharif on Tuesday blamed India’s premier spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) for blatantly involved in destabilising Pakistan as well as and the multi-billion dollars China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
“Hostile intelligence agencies averse to this grand project [CPEC], especially Indian intelligence agency is blatantly involved in destabilising Pakistan,” he told a seminar at the port city of Gwadar.
The army chief vowed to foil the design of the hostile intelligence agencies and assured the people of Pakistan that no stone will be left unturned in securing the project.
General Raheel Sharif urged the international community to not only acknowledge the sacrifices made by the Pakistan Army against terrorism but also help the country block external aid for terrorist organisations, their financers and abettors. “Operation Zarb-e-Azb is not only an operation but wholesome concept. It aims at breaking the syndicate of terrorism, extremism and corruption,” Army Chief said.
Pakistani military establishment was taken by surprise over the revelations made by detained senior officer of India’s premier spy agency RAW Kulbhoshan Yadav and his associates about the extent of RAW’s involvement in destabilizing Pakistan.
According to senior security officials privy to the interrogation of Kulbhoshan Yadav suggest that Indian intelligence agency was operating the secret network through him with main design of targeting and sabotaging the CPEC.
Sharing details of preliminary information about Kulbhoshan Yadav, sources told The Nation on condition of anonymity said that Yadav and his associates have made shocking revelations about RAW’s design for Pakistan. They said some members of the network have been arrested and a national level manhunt is underway to track down others.
Sources in the security establishment dismissed the impression that perhaps civil-military leadership of the country is not on the same page about the issues relating to the national security of the country.
This was because of perception cropped up over belated reaction by the civilian political leadership over the arrest of RAW’s senior officer.
Some media outlets had even highlighted the position taken by Information Minister Pervez Rashid at his joint press briefing with Director General of military’s media wing ISPR Lt. Gen. Asim Bajwa to share initial account of RAW’s arrested operative. A month later, Defence Committee of the Cabinet which met under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on April 6 had to express deep concerns over the activities of Pakistan’s hostile foreign intelligence agencies especially the RAW.
During the meeting, PM Nawaz was briefed on the steps being taken for national security in the country.
The committee expressed satisfaction over counter-terrorism efforts of the security institutions which have drawn wide and broad appreciation from international leadership.
Analysts still insist that belated reaction by the civil political leadership over the arrest of senior RAW operative shows it was not on the same page with military leadership. “I am really surprised why the prime minister did not utter a word over the arrest of RAW’s operative and the military was left with total responsibility to bear the burden,” said renowned defence analyst lt. Gen. (Retd) Talat Masood.
General Masood said that India is hostile to the CPEC project from the day one and because of its closeness with the United States and other major powers, they are also supporting India against Pakistan over the issue of terrorism.
He regretted that civilian leadership seems to least interested in defence affairs of the country because of petty issues of self-serving interest and leaving the military to lead from the front in matters that have to be dealt by the civilian authority.