Baluchistan is an arid, inhospitable land, which comprises 43 per cent of Pakistan’s land mass, has 5 per cent of its population, and contributes 50 per cent of gas to Pakistan’s national grid, though it was the last to receive piped gas. The Baluchis have negligible representation in Pakistan’s armed forces (the Baluch regiments have very few Baluchs), bureaucracy or other civilian jobs. The problems in Baluchistan have nothing to do with India — they have been caused by economic neglect of the locals, who also fear becoming a minority in their own land. Indeed, Baluchistan has witnessed unrest and uprisings even earlier, in 1948, 1958, 1963-1969, 1973-1977 and 2004 onwards. This is really Pakistan’s internal issue and India has repeatedly stated that a stable, prosperous Pakistan is also in our interests. Gwadar port is a different case, though it does belong to Pakistan — it would be prudent for India and the global community to carefully examine the strategic implications of this port, built largely with Chinese assistance, and located close to the world’s ‘energy jugular’.

The international community and strategic think tanks have often expressed their concern at a worst case scenario of an unstable Pakistan, where its nuclear arsenal may wholly or partly come under the control of fundamentalists. These fundamentalists could also use Gwadar port to destabilise the world economy, by disrupting or threatening to disrupt the oil flow from the Gulf.

The writer is a retired vice-admiral

kumarsinghster@gmail.com