‘China and Pak planning to create unrest in Northeast’

NEW DELHI: India will witness multiple levels of volatility and disturbance in the coming months in what till recently has been a peaceful Northeast. The intelligence agencies have sounded off the relevant offices in the North and South Blocks about the Pakistan government being asked by Chinese officials to create disturbance in the northeastern states. The funding for this is being provided by the Chinese agencies and the execution being done by Pakistani entities. It is pertinent to mention that India has been locked in a border standoff with China overlooking its eastern borders for the last four years.
Official sources tasked with tracking these developments in the Northeast said that Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, who was on a four-day visit to China last month, has been directed to take steps to hit at pressure points in the Northeast, specifically Arunachal Pradesh.
According to these sources, in the past two months, the Dhaka desk of Pakistan’s intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has become highly active. This development, sources said, is likely related to the directions that were received from Chinese military officers ahead of the visit by Munir.
Official sources claimed that with ISI in a better position to hit Indian interests in these states because of the local resources at its disposal, Beijing has apparently asked Islamabad to foment trouble in the northeastern sector, which will lead India to divert a significant part of its security apparatus to these regions.
Due to the situation in these states being stable and under control until now, Government of India has been able to focus entirely on Jammu and Kashmir to tackle Pakistan-based terror groups. An official source said that a major part of ISI’s India focusing resources were now working towards the objective of disrupting peace in the Northeast.
According to him, this had now become priority number 1 for the well-oiled intelligence agency, ISI, which, among other measures, is known for recruiting locals to execute its objectives. The local resources for the recent China-backed exercise, sources said, are being recruited from West Bengal and Assam.
Historically, officials said, the Dhaka desk of the ISI has acted as the focal point for executing subversive activities in India’s Northeast. However, it had become relatively inactive since the last few years, until recently, which has not gone unnoticed.