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India behind unrest in Balochistan: Malik

* Interior adviser claims Baloch being trained in Russia and Afghanistan
* Denies military operation underway in Balochistan
* Says BLA chief Brahamdagh in Afghanistan

By Muhammad Bilal

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik claimed on Wednesday that India is backing the Balochistan Liberation Army (LBA) to fuel an insurgency in the province.

Winding up debate in the Senate on the unrest in Balochistan, Rehman said ‘some hostile agencies’ were hatching conspiracies to destabilise Pakistan. He also dismissed BLA chief Brahamdagh Bugti’s demand for an independent Balochistan, and claimed the “militant organisation raised by Russia during the Afghan war is now being backed by India”.

Training: He said that around 1,000 Baloch trained in Russia were now back in Balochistan to fuel the insurgency and destabilise the province. “There are between 4,000 to 5,000 … Baloch who are based in Afghanistan,” the Reuters news agency quoted him as saying. He said the BLA was revived after the death of Baloch leader Akbar Bugti. “This [the revival] is evident from Brahamdagh Bugti’s recent television interview in which he sought Indian and American support.” Rehman alleged that Brahamdagh was behind the kidnappingof UN official John Solecki, as “the government intercepted several calls from Afghanistan”.

Brahamdagh: The adviser also claimed that Brahamdagh had been living close to Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s presidential palace in Kabul. The adviser’s remarks irked Baloch senators, who walked out of the House in protest and denied hisclaims. Rehman condemned the killing of three Baloch leaders. He asked the Senate chairman to form a parliamentary committee to oversee the investigation.

Denial: Rehman denied that a military operation was underway in Balochistan. The Senate chairman has scheduled Thursday’s sitting to be held in-camera. Malik would share details about the Balochistan situation on Thursday.

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