Six soldiers and a provinicial government official were killed in an ambush on&nbsp;their convoy today when armed gunmen attacked them in the&nbsp;southwest province of Balochistan. 
 
The incident took place 80 kilometres from Gwadar, a vital port in a planned&nbsp;China-Pakistan economic corridor from the Arabian sea to China&#39;s western&nbsp;Xinjiang district. 
 
The gunmen hurled grenades and fired rockets at the convoy, informed the Gwadar deputy district commissioner. 
 
Separatist groups in Balochistan&nbsp;have been involved in several attacks on the&nbsp;country&#39;s security forces as part of their struggle for independence. 
 
Baloch activists have claimed that security forces have carried out extrajudicial&nbsp;killings, and thousands of people have disappeared from the region. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

The gunmen hurled grenades and fired rockets at the convoy, informed the deputy district commissioner of southwestern Gwadar port city

Six soldiers and a provinicial government official were killed in an ambush on their convoy today when armed gunmen attacked them in the southwest province of Balochistan. The incident took place 80 kilometres from Gwadar, a vital port in a planned China-Pakistan economic corridor from the Arabian sea to China's western Xinjiang district. The gunmen hurled grenades and fired rockets at the convoy, informed the Gwadar deputy district commissioner. Separatist groups in Balochistan have been involved in several attacks on the country's security forces as part of their struggle for independence. Baloch activists have claimed that security forces have carried out extrajudicial killings, and thousands of people have disappeared from the region. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Attack on convoy kills 7 in Pakistan's Balochistan

When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met top aides to prepare last week&#39;s annual Independence Day address, some senior bureaucrats warned him against mentioning Balochistan, arch-rival Pakistan&#39;s restive southwestern province. 
 
Referring to Balochistan in such a prominent speech would be a highly unusual move bound to ratchet up tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours more used to trading barbs over northern Kashmir state, the cause of two of their three wars. 
 
According to a senior official at the meeting in early August, the more hawkish politicians in the room, angered by what they saw as Pakistan&#39;s recent trouble-making in Kashmir, thought differently, and so did Modi. 
 
By siding with the hawks, and including Balochistan in his address, Modi signalled a more muscular approach towards Pakistan. 
 
That dims prospects of bringing the bitter rivals closer together to reduce economic pain and the risk of more violence, an issue that will be high on US secretary of state John Kerry&#39;s agenda when he lands in New Delhi on Monday for a three-day visit. 
 
&quot;The bureaucrats suggested that talking about Balochistan is a good idea but may be the Independence Day speech was not a good platform for it,&quot; said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the meeting&#39;s sensitivity. 
 
Defence minister Manohar Parrikar &quot;rejected these ideas&quot;, while home minister Rajnath Singh &quot;supported him (Parrikar) by saying we should do everything to silence Pakistan&quot;, this official said. 
 
India&#39;s ministry for external affairs declined to comment on the debate about Modi&#39;s speech. His office, and the defence and home ministries, did not respond to requests for comment. 
 
Speaking from the ramparts of the 17th-century Red Fort in Old Delhi on August 15, Modi thanked the Baloch people for their support after a number of separatist leaders published videos praising him for acknowledging their cause previously. 
 
He also lashed out at supporters of &quot;terrorism&quot;, in a more familiar broadside against India&#39;s old foe. 
 
Crossing the red line 
 
Pakistan has seized on Modi&#39;s speech as evidence that India has a hand in a decades-long Baloch separatist campaign, in which insurgents in the resource-rich yet impoverished region have launched sporadic attacks and demanded independence. India denies the charge. 
 
A senior foreign ministry official in Islamabad said Modi had &quot;crossed the red line&quot;. 
 
Indian officials said Modi&#39;s speech was designed to remind the world about alleged human rights abuses by Pakistani forces in Balochistan, just as Pakistan accuses India of abusing civilians in the disputed region of Kashmir during recent unrest. 
 
But outside Modi&#39;s entourage, questions are being asked about what strategic reward, if any, India can hope to gain by raising the geopolitical stakes. 
 
&quot;Politically, it&#39;s much less useful in terms of Pakistan using this as evidence of Indian meddling. It gives them ammunition,&quot; said Daniel Markey, a South Asia expert at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, referring to Modi&#39;s mention of Balochistan. 
 
But he added: &quot;There is a strategic utility in looking a little unhinged, in sending that message.&quot; 
 
A New Delhi-based diplomat from a major power with traditionally close ties to India said it will only escalate tension. 
 
Deteriorating relations 
 
Relations between India and Pakistan have deteriorated since the killing of a separatist leader in Indian-ruled Kashmir on July 8 sparked the worst violence in the disputed territory in six years. 
 
At least 66 protesters and two security personnel have been killed and thousands wounded on both sides, according to official state figures. 
 
India blames Pakistan for failing to stop militants crossing the heavily-militarised de facto border between them and attacking Indian security forces. Pakistan denies this. 
 
Two senior Indian officials said Modi had become frustrated with Pakistan&#39;s latest attempt to draw wide international attention to the Kashmir question and the current clampdown, and to take the matter to the United Nations. 
 
&quot;Dealing with militancy is our internal issue and we will not tolerate any other country&#39;s interference,&quot; said one of the officials, from Modi&#39;s nationalist ruling party, who is closely involved in regional policy. 
 
At the August meeting, Parrikar, the defence minister, also said that by raising Balochistan, Modi would be highlighting China&#39;s role in unrest in the region, said the official present. 
 
The reference to China reflects Indian unease at Beijing&#39;s backing of a $46 billion trade corridor running through land in northeast Pakistan that New Delhi claims, onward through Balochistan to the port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea coast. 
 
Some of the Baloch separatist leaders who praised Modi before his address worry that their battle for a homeland will become a political football between the South Asian neighbours. 
 
&quot;If India&#39;s support is just a reaction to the politics and to Kashmir, then it could damage the political struggle,&quot; said Geneva-based Baloch Republican Party leader Brahamdagh Bugti. 
 
He said New Delhi had rejected his application for Indian asylum in 2007. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

By including Balochistan in his address, Modi signalled a more muscular approach towards Pakistan.

When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met top aides to prepare last week's annual Independence Day address, some senior bureaucrats warned him against mentioning Balochistan, arch-rival Pakistan's restive southwestern province. Referring to Balochistan in such a prominent speech would be a highly unusual move bound to ratchet up tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours more used to trading barbs over northern Kashmir state, the cause of two of their three wars. According to a senior official at the meeting in early August, the more hawkish politicians in the room, angered by what they saw as Pakistan's recent trouble-making in Kashmir, thought differently, and so did Modi. By siding with the hawks, and including Balochistan in his address, Modi signalled a more muscular approach towards Pakistan. That dims prospects of bringing the bitter rivals closer together to reduce economic pain and the risk of more violence, an issue that will be high on US secretary of state John Kerry's agenda when he lands in New Delhi on Monday for a three-day visit. "The bureaucrats suggested that talking about Balochistan is a good idea but may be the Independence Day speech was not a good platform for it," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the meeting's sensitivity. Defence minister Manohar Parrikar "rejected these ideas", while home minister Rajnath Singh "supported him (Parrikar) by saying we should do everything to silence Pakistan", this official said. India's ministry for external affairs declined to comment on the debate about Modi's speech. His office, and the defence and home ministries, did not respond to requests for comment. Speaking from the ramparts of the 17th-century Red Fort in Old Delhi on August 15, Modi thanked the Baloch people for their support after a number of separatist leaders published videos praising him for acknowledging their cause previously. He also lashed out at supporters of "terrorism", in a more familiar broadside against India's old foe. Crossing the red line Pakistan has seized on Modi's speech as evidence that India has a hand in a decades-long Baloch separatist campaign, in which insurgents in the resource-rich yet impoverished region have launched sporadic attacks and demanded independence. India denies the charge. A senior foreign ministry official in Islamabad said Modi had "crossed the red line". Indian officials said Modi's speech was designed to remind the world about alleged human rights abuses by Pakistani forces in Balochistan, just as Pakistan accuses India of abusing civilians in the disputed region of Kashmir during recent unrest. But outside Modi's entourage, questions are being asked about what strategic reward, if any, India can hope to gain by raising the geopolitical stakes. "Politically, it's much less useful in terms of Pakistan using this as evidence of Indian meddling. It gives them ammunition," said Daniel Markey, a South Asia expert at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, referring to Modi's mention of Balochistan. But he added: "There is a strategic utility in looking a little unhinged, in sending that message." A New Delhi-based diplomat from a major power with traditionally close ties to India said it will only escalate tension. Deteriorating relations Relations between India and Pakistan have deteriorated since the killing of a separatist leader in Indian-ruled Kashmir on July 8 sparked the worst violence in the disputed territory in six years. At least 66 protesters and two security personnel have been killed and thousands wounded on both sides, according to official state figures. India blames Pakistan for failing to stop militants crossing the heavily-militarised de facto border between them and attacking Indian security forces. Pakistan denies this. Two senior Indian officials said Modi had become frustrated with Pakistan's latest attempt to draw wide international attention to the Kashmir question and the current clampdown, and to take the matter to the United Nations. "Dealing with militancy is our internal issue and we will not tolerate any other country's interference," said one of the officials, from Modi's nationalist ruling party, who is closely involved in regional policy. At the August meeting, Parrikar, the defence minister, also said that by raising Balochistan, Modi would be highlighting China's role in unrest in the region, said the official present. The reference to China reflects Indian unease at Beijing's backing of a $46 billion trade corridor running through land in northeast Pakistan that New Delhi claims, onward through Balochistan to the port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea coast. Some of the Baloch separatist leaders who praised Modi before his address worry that their battle for a homeland will become a political football between the South Asian neighbours. "If India's support is just a reaction to the politics and to Kashmir, then it could damage the political struggle," said Geneva-based Baloch Republican Party leader Brahamdagh Bugti. He said New Delhi had rejected his application for Indian asylum in 2007. (Reuters)

Indian PM Modi goaded Pakistan on Balochistan in deliberate but risky move

Balochistan is Pakistan&#39;s most complicated region and significant parts of the restive province are not necessarily controlled by the government, according to a former Pakistani diplomat. 
 
&quot;Balochistan is Pakistan&#39;s most complicated region, and unfortunately people try to simplify the problems there. It is not all about the mistakes of the Pakistani military, or the corruption of civilians in power, or the nationalists, or the presence of the Taliban. It is all those things,&quot; the former Pakistan Ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani, said in an interview to The Atlantic magazine. 
 
Noting that significant parts of Balochistan are not necessarily controlled by Pakistan&#39;s central government, Haqqani said the ethnic Baloch areas have a greater sympathy for nationalists who would like to see either an independent or autonomous Balochistan. 
 
&quot;The army tries to suppress them, sometimes with the help of religious extremists,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;Also, the elected government in the province did not get significant mandates because the Baloch parties boycotted the last election and many people were elected with the low turnout of 10, 12, in some places 15 per cent. So these political leaders are seen by the majority of Baloch as the puppets of Islamabad,&quot; he added. 
 
Responding to a question on freedom movement in Balochistan, Haqqani said this goes back to the country&#39;s creation, when the Muslim majority part of India left and became Pakistan. 
 
&quot;Some Baloch leaders say Balochistan&#39;s integration into Pakistan was done forcefully. But more important than that is the neglect. This is a resource-rich province, and instead of the people benefitting from those resources, they end up in other parts of Pakistan,&quot; he said. 
 
The Pakistani military, he said, has to have a clear definition of who it considers the enemy. 
 
Instead of cultivating one group of jihadi and fighting others, it needs to go after all jihadi and extremist groups. 
 
&quot;It also needs to start a process of reconciliation with the Baloch nationalists. These are citizens of Pakistan who feel they have been neglected, and therefore are feeling restive and unhappy. Putting in more troops is only going to escalate the violence. Not end it,&quot; Haqqani said.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)

Ex-diplomat noted there are several factors behind Pakistan central government's inability to control large swathes of the restive region

Balochistan is Pakistan's most complicated region and significant parts of the restive province are not necessarily controlled by the government, according to a former Pakistani diplomat. "Balochistan is Pakistan's most complicated region, and unfortunately people try to simplify the problems there. It is not all about the mistakes of the Pakistani military, or the corruption of civilians in power, or the nationalists, or the presence of the Taliban. It is all those things," the former Pakistan Ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani, said in an interview to The Atlantic magazine. Noting that significant parts of Balochistan are not necessarily controlled by Pakistan's central government, Haqqani said the ethnic Baloch areas have a greater sympathy for nationalists who would like to see either an independent or autonomous Balochistan. "The army tries to suppress them, sometimes with the help of religious extremists," he said. "Also, the elected government in the province did not get significant mandates because the Baloch parties boycotted the last election and many people were elected with the low turnout of 10, 12, in some places 15 per cent. So these political leaders are seen by the majority of Baloch as the puppets of Islamabad," he added. Responding to a question on freedom movement in Balochistan, Haqqani said this goes back to the country's creation, when the Muslim majority part of India left and became Pakistan. "Some Baloch leaders say Balochistan's integration into Pakistan was done forcefully. But more important than that is the neglect. This is a resource-rich province, and instead of the people benefitting from those resources, they end up in other parts of Pakistan," he said. The Pakistani military, he said, has to have a clear definition of who it considers the enemy. Instead of cultivating one group of jihadi and fighting others, it needs to go after all jihadi and extremist groups. "It also needs to start a process of reconciliation with the Baloch nationalists. These are citizens of Pakistan who feel they have been neglected, and therefore are feeling restive and unhappy. Putting in more troops is only going to escalate the violence. Not end it," Haqqani said. (PTI)

Balochistan is Pakistan's most complicated region, says former Pakistan ambassador to US

At least three people were killed and another 20 injured when a bomb ripped through a busy square in Pakistan&#39;s Balochistan province, police said today. 
 
The bomb was planted on a motorbike parked along the road in Almo Chowk of Quetta city and it exploded when people were busy in shopping during the holy month of Ramzan. 
 
&quot;Three people were killed and 20 injured in the attack,&quot; a police official said. 
 
The victims were shifted to the Civil Hospital Quetta, where some of them were said to be in critical condition. 
 
Security personnel rushed to the place of attack and have started investigations, he said. 
 
Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack but Taliban and Baloch nationalist militants are active in the area. 
 
(PTI)

Nobody has claimed responsibility yet but Taliban and Baloch nationalist militants are active in the area

At least three people were killed and another 20 injured when a bomb ripped through a busy square in Pakistan's Balochistan province, police said today. The bomb was planted on a motorbike parked along the road in Almo Chowk of Quetta city and it exploded when people were busy in shopping during the holy month of Ramzan. "Three people were killed and 20 injured in the attack," a police official said. The victims were shifted to the Civil Hospital Quetta, where some of them were said to be in critical condition. Security personnel rushed to the place of attack and have started investigations, he said. Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack but Taliban and Baloch nationalist militants are active in the area. (PTI)

3 killed, 20 injured in bomb explosion in Pak's Balochistan

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