By blaming India, the military establishment gains a convenient external scapegoat
Pakistan’s security crisis, marked by surging militant violence and deteriorating law and order, has prompted a high-level intervention by the country’s military leadership, CNN-News18 has learnt.
Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, the Army Chief, has adopted a combative stance, unequivocally blaming India for sponsoring terrorism in the highly restive provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Official Line: ‘Indian Proxies’
During a visit to Balochistan amid rising security concerns, Field Marshal Munir alleged that India is actively working to destabilise Pakistan on “two fronts.” He designated the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as “Indian proxies”, labelling them with loaded religious and ideological terms: the BLA as Fitna-ul-Hindustan (Treachery/Strife of Hindustan) and the TTP as Fitna-ul-Kharij (Treachery/Strife of the Kharijites).
The Army Chief vowed that “all necessary steps will be taken to eliminate terrorist proxies”, framing the security challenge as an externally sponsored campaign of “anti-people propaganda” and violence. While in Balochistan, he also engaged in a patriotic overture, calling the province the “pride of Pakistan” and urging the youth to play a role in its development and stability.
The Counter-Narrative: A Text-Book Diversion
Top intelligence sources and security analysts, however, view Field Marshal Munir’s statements as a calculated and familiar “textbook diversion” from profound internal crises. This strategic externalisation of blame comes at a time when Pakistan is reeling from multiple domestic failures:
Internal Failures: The country is facing the blowback from its perceived failures in Afghanistan, a severe economic collapse, internal rifts with religious-political groups like the TLP, and rapidly growing anti-army sentiment in ethnic regions like Balochistan and KP.
The Army’s Role: Analysts suggest the military’s repeated operations and widespread practice of enforced disappearances in these provinces have triggered mass discontent, creating the very vacuum that militant and separatist groups exploit.