Pak former minister blames India for Balochistan troubles

East Pakistan like situation is being created in Balochistan, claims former interior minister Rehman Malik

India has created "an East Pakistan like situation" in Pakistan's restive southwestern province of Balochistan by helping the separatists active in the resource- rich tribal region, former interior minister Rehman Malik has alleged.

Rehman who was minister from 2008-13 in Asif Ali Zardari's Pakistan Peoples Party government told media that India was helping separatists in the province.

"I feel that an East Pakistan-like situation is being created in Balochistan as the role of Mukti Bahini is being played by India in collaboration with Afghanistan and duly backed by the West," he said.

Rehman said the role of India in the unrest in Balochistan "is not a hidden story," and the previous PPP government had taken up the issue of Balochistan with India.

"We had taken up the matter with former Indian home minister P Chidambaram and he had assured us that they would take notice of it, but later the five-year term of our government ended and we could not pursue the matter," he said.

He said during the tenure of the previous PPP government he had given a five-hour-long briefing to the Senate on Balochistan in which he had provided proof of separatist leader Brahmadagh Bugti's alleged links with Indian agencies.

He also referred to some speeches of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, especially those he delivered in Bangladesh and on the occasion of India's Independence Day, and said that Modi was fanning the flames of fire in Balochistan.

He urged Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to take serious notice of conspiracies being hatched against Pakistan and take all necessary steps against elements behind them.

Rehman also criticised the US policies towards Pakistan and said that the joint declaration signed between India and the US in September last year and June this year were attempts to pressurise Pakistan.