As India and Pakistan inch towards a revival of the stalled peace process, the Pak Army’s killing of the Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti could add a new layer of complexity to bilateral relations.

The Government is closely monitoring the violent reaction in Pakistan to the targeted killing of Bugti and the long-term political consequences of his martyrdom in the cause of the long-neglected Baloch rights and aspirations.

The latest developments in Balochistan could only sharpen the contradiction in the Indian policy between the short term necessity of dealing with whoever is in power in Islamabad and the long-term importance assisting the democratisation of Pakistan, without which stability on our western borders might remain an elusive goal.

It would be surprising if the Government does not speak up in the wake of the unfolding political earthquake in Balochistan.

When violence escalated in Balochistan last December, India had criticised Pakistan for its excessive use of force against the Baloch tribes and set off a strong negative reaction from Islamabad.

Although the Baloch resistance to the Pakistani state had continued intermittently over the years, it was the first time in decades that India chose to comment on the situation in Balochistan.

Having raised its voice against Pakistani oppression in Balochistan, as part of a conscious policy decision, India is unlikely to keep quiet when the leader of the Baloch resistance was killed Saturday in an encounter with the Pak Army.

Pakistan, which already accuses India of supporting the Baloch militancy, is likely to reject India’s “intervention” in its internal affairs. New Delhi in the past has said it cannot remain silent on major developments in its own neighbourhood. While India has chosen to deal with General Musharraf and explore a final settlement to the Kashmir question, the latest developments in Balochistan bring into bold relief, the declining political credibility of the military rule in Pakistan. Nearly seven years after Musharraf took charge of Pakistan in a coup, his ability to bring a measure of stability to his nation has come under a big question mark.

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