RAW-NDS nexus: How is it operating to destabilise Pakistan
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Discussions with several sources in local police and intelligence in and around Chamman, in Pakistani province of Baluchistan reveal that Indian and Afghan Intelligence agencies (RAW & NDS respectively) operating from the Afghan town of Spin Boldak, may have developed newer ingenuous methods of using terror outfits against Pakistani security forces and civilians. With more and more arrests, and surrenders in these areas and the debriefing of the arrested handlers in Lahore and other parts of Pakistan a broader picture of Indian and Afghan agencies role in creating terrorism inside Pakistan is getting clearer. This can be called: “Out-Sourcing of Terrorism”
With the recent wave of terror attacks across Pakistan, that killed almost 200 people over the last ten days, the question that stood out is: how do these apparently religiously motivated or sectarian outfits finance their activities? Intelligence and policing sources claim, that the drawing room intellectuals sitting in Islamabad and hobnobbing with diplomats, have no idea of the realities on ground.
Terrorism costs money; a single suicide mission can cost up to Rs. 4 million to its planners and takes several weeks of sophisticated planning and coordination. Terrorism does not come cheap. “Its less about religion and sectarianism and more about management & financing like business projects”; one intelligence source argued.
Menu prices for attacks in Pakistan
According to reliable sources, India’s Research Analysis Wing (RAW) has circulated a menu-like open price list to all terrorist groups including TTP, LeJ, Al Alami, Al Ahrar and militant factions of TTA, whereby a fixed price is paid for the successful execution of terrorist activity inside Pakistan. “If you do IED this much will be paid, if you attack school or kill children, so and so amount will be paid”, and the list goes on. Apparently the “Only proof you need to produce for claiming bounty is a video evidence to prove”; source claims.
Costs of Suicide Missions inside Pakistan?
Talking to the various sources, one can more or less accurately estimate that one “suicide mission/undertaking” can cost the master planners around Rs. 4 million. The more the causalities, the higher the profile target, the more is the amount paid. Public, media and drawing room intellectuals in Islamabad have remained focused on the hate filled “suicide bomber” who is perceived to be from one or the other sect or ideologically motivated group. But intelligence officers see a totally different pattern.
Each and every part of the “Suicide Mission” can be individually priced and independently managed. For instance the suicide bomber and the suicide vest/jacket never reach the destination together. In case of Lahore attack on chemists, outside the Punjab Assembly, a truck driver was paid Rs. 250,000 for smuggling the “suicide jacket” under the impression that he was carrying a heroin filled jacket. The young suicide bomber was imported into Lahore by different group.
Young boys, often orphan or disturbed for some reason, taken away from their families or simply abducted are brain washed over a period of three to six months.
These can be sold like market products – like burgers. Every item and every act of the “Mission Suicide Bombing” is priced separately. These include the costs of unregistered vehicles used in border areas, costs of making suicide jackets, costs of facilitators and handlers and costs incurred in bribing the border posts and police officials on the way. Like the truck driver who improved the “suicide vest” in to Lahore, most of the officials take their cut in usual routine of corruption inside the system and are seldom aware of what they are facilitating. In addition, these groups use ransom money as seed investment in terrorists activities. Kidnapping for ransom in Baluchistan is being operated by these terror outfits from across the border.
Written by: Mirwais Khan
