dna edit: Trouble on the sea

Islamabad will have to get beyond mere official denials of its involvement in the activities of Pakistan-based jihadis, and cooperate with India in fighting terror.

The fishing boat allegedly travelling from Keti Bandar, near Karachi, was detonated by those on board off Porbandar at the end of an hour-long hot pursuit by the Coast Guard in the early hours of January 1. It is also known that the Coast Guard got on to the trail after an alert from the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), which functions under the national security adviser. It is suspected that this was an attempt by Pakistan-based jihadi groups to land suicide squads in Gujarat, in the run up to the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas and the visit of United States President Barack Obama to be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade, in a replay of November 26, 2008, terror attack in Mumbai.

Predictably, Pakistan’s foreign office has denied that any fishing boat had left Keti Bandar, and that this was but an Indian ploy to divert attention from the killing of two Pakistan Rangers and a 16-year-old girl in unprovoked firing by the Border Security Force (BSF) across the border in J&K. Given the evidence of past acts of terror from Pakistan-based jihadi groups, it will be difficult to give credence to Pakistani denials. It does not, however, provide clinching evidence to India. There is need for more evidence, which perhaps is now destroyed, to establish the diabolical intent of the intrusion of the boat laden with explosives.

It is reasonable to argue that more facts are needed to ascertain the reason why the fishing boat crew did not surrender and chose to burn it down and go down into the sea with it. Was there incriminating evidence on the boat in the form of weapons and documents, which the crew did not want to fall into Indian hands? Was it a reconnaissance exercise on the part of the jihadis and is it a prelude to a bigger infiltration from the sea?

The Coast Guard had acted on intelligence inputs from the NTRO, and it had also coordinated its operations with air support from the Dornier craft in its service. It will now be necessary to salvage whatever evidence that can be gathered from the boat wreck to piece together the probable intent of the foiled mission. It will also be necessary to continue to monitor and intercept communications of the jihadis along the Pakistan coast. The Coast Guard and the Navy may have to intensify their patrolling in the Arabian Sea area and track movements of suspected terror groups. It has already been noticed that a second boat which was on the radar had escaped into Pakistan waters.

It is inevitable that India will look at Pakistan as the usual suspect because of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. It is for Pakistan then to dispel distrust by cooperating with Indian Coast Guard and Navy in tracking the movements of the terror elements. It is to be seen whether Pakistan will step out and address India’s security concerns in relation to jihadi terrorists. It would be futile on the part of the Pakistan government to mouth the inanities that it has nothing to do with non-State actors operating from its territory. Pakistan’s political establishment is ready to set up military courts to deal expeditiously with cases involving terrorists. It will have to get proactive on the external front as well, and join hands with neighbours like India to tackle the terror menace. Pakistan can win the war against terrorism at home only through cooperation with India.