_____________________________________________________________
By Salim Bokhari
Had the ship, seized recently at a foreign port, been of Pakistani origin or arms and ammunitions manufactured in any ordinance factory inside its territory, the hell would have been let loose. It would have been either blamed on Pakistani intelligence agency ISI or any so-called terrorist group operating here. America, Israel and India would have shouted full throttle, accusing us of crime against humanity.
A media report says that a shipload of illegal arms and ammunition manufactured in India has been seized by Nigerian authorities at Lagos’ busy Apapa Port after 13 containers were opened for inspection. These containers were shipped to Nigeria from an Indian port July this year. But not a bird has fluttered. Neither the United Nations and the United States nor Israel uttered a single word about the haul. Instead, the issue has been hushed up.
India has a long history of smuggling weapons to smaller countries across the world in general and to the Third World states in particular. Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal could be cited as examples where India smuggled weapons and war explosives.
If one takes a peep into the past, India was behind arming Mukti Bahni that was instrumental in separating East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. New Delhi has been found behind many bungled arms smuggling bids. In fact, India has continued supplying arms to rebel groups and terrorist organisations across the world. There is no dearth of evidence even on the web, suggesting that both India and Israel are the main arm smugglers in the black market.
Bangladeshi, Nepalese and Sri Lankan authorities have been holding talks with Indian Defence and Foreign Office authorities to block a huge quantity of heavy weapons that are frequently shipped or transported out of India to the neighbouring states. It is understood that each time this issue came up for discussion, New Delhi took refuge in the argument that these smugglers belong to the underworld over which the Indian government has no control.
It was in the recent past that the Pakistan’s Parliament was informed during a camera session that India was behind supplying arms to insurgents operating inside Balochistan. It was not a sheer allegation. Interior Minister Rehman Malik is on record for telling the MPs that the Pakistani authorities have documentary proofs of Indian involvement in the insurgency. The Indian involvement goes to the extent of arming the insurgents fully. Arms caches seized by the Frontier Constabulary were of Indian origin.
Similarly, India is also responsible for allowing arms supplies to Kabul for onward delivery to al-Qaeda terrorists through whom these weapons reach the Pakistani Taliban fighting against the Pakistan Army in South and North Waziristan.
Diplomatic observers here are of the view that such illegal arms smuggling by Israel and India is going on unchecked. In their opinion, the matter should be raised at the international forums, including the United Nations, Non-Aligned Movement and SAARC. Pakistan, being a victim of suicide bombings and target killings, should take the lead and raise the issue at the United Nations.
کوئی تبصرے نہیں:
ایک تبصرہ شائع کریں