The unprecedented attack on our soldiers in Kech district of Balochistan, in which 13 were killed, has once again highlighted the seriousness of addressing the broader picture of terrorism and its regional dynamics.
We are approaching the problem only through a limited prism-kinetic aspect of the challenge. The government still believes that the terrorists are "Naraj Baloch" and that talks should be held with them. And it has dedicated the SAPM to negotiate with the so-called "Naraj Baloch". But those who wanted to talk or were ready to talk have already taken advantage of that opportunity.
Those left now are your enemies and must be dealt with accordingly. It is the willful and naive thinking of our leadership that terrorists and their sponsors can be tempted or coerced to negotiate. It is terrorism that has become an industry for them.
The soft pedal of dialogue sends a weak message even to those who stood by the state. If we continue with the option of Veena, we confuse people and they will always look behind their shoulders, i.e., if one day terrorists will be rehabilitated, instead of standing with Pakistan.
Whom should we talk to? And why go down the beaten path, except to go all-out against them and destroy them, defeat them? When the government says it wants talks, it also fails to understand the mindset of those who have the capital to invest. We talk about the change from geopolitics to geoeconomics, but do not look yet so seriously as to lay the foundation and necessary environment for the former. Investors do not want to invest in a country which is not tough against terrorists. They won't even take you seriously.
Then there are the regional bases of terrorists. Afghanistan is a known safe haven. The UAE has arrested and extradited an important person. But in the UAE, there are more terrorists affiliated with the BRAS (Baloch Raji Ajoi Sengar-Group of Terrorist Organizations). They should be hunted down and extradited. Many people in Iran are also enjoying safe havens, especially those protected and maintained by Indian properties. A very strong message needs to be sent to the Iranian authorities. It is surprising that the government has not sent anyone to Tehran yet.
Since Pakistan is a regional power, it cannot be considered weak. The problem may extend beyond Iran. During his visit to Kech district, Army Chief General Qamar Bajwa insisted that the Pakistan-Iran border would also be fenced. The time has come to bring the issue of Jadhav-Indian terrorism back into the limelight. Indian RAW spy Kulbhushan Jadhav was arrested for operating the network from Chabahar Port in Balochistan.
Those who are not able to control their territory and exercise their authority are also seen as weak by the great powers. We want to tango with President Putin of Russia and President Xi of China, but they will see us as less strong if we can't control Balochistan.
Yes, it is the job of the government to give our soldiers armored vehicles for better protection and strong wind support like using attack helices. Whereas without the operation and deployment of armed drones and MRAPs, operations in that area would be very challenging for our frontline troops.
The government needs to build forts for soldiers on the Iranian border too, which is the need of the hour. Zarb-e-Azb was a great example which the world accepted. Maybe we need to reiterate this as we are finally being acknowledged and accepted as a regional power by the great powers.
The only message the government should give after the Kech incident is that we will fight these elements and defeat them wherever they are. In other words, the only option we have is a war in which these enemies of the state are wiped out. Or else, forget about "geoeconomics", because that would be a pipe dream. Is the government ready?
Jan Achakzai is a geopolitical analyst, a Balochistan politician and a former advisor to the Balochistan government on media and strategic communications. He remained associated with the BBC World Service. He is also the President of Institute of New Horizons (INH) and Balochistan. He tweeted @Jan_Achakzai