The Indian security establishments have expressed concern over expansion of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) after the terror outfit claimed responsibility for the helicopter crash in Naltar in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of PoK on Friday. The top brass of the Indian security setup feels that it is a warning bell for Pakistan as well.
Though the TTP is often known for making inflated claims, the Indian security agencies would still like to err on the safe side. The attack can be seen as failure of the Pakistani security forces which had started believing that they have managed to control TTP in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan near the Afghanistan border. However, the group has started spreading itself in the urban areas of Pakistan as well — terror attack on Army School in Peshawar is one example. And, the fact it is fully operational in the Kashmir region, closer to Indian borders, is now a big worry for India.
Apart from a major diplomatic embarrassment, Pakistan’s “excursion diplomacy” in the Gilgit-Baltistan region may also have boomeranged after this chopper crash giving out a signal that safety in Pakistan is a serious issue. Moreover, since Gilgit-Baltistan is a disputed and disturbed area getting investments for Nawaz Sharif will now be even more difficult in this sector. The attack may also have a message for China: Chinese President Xi Jinping during his recent visit to Islamabad last month had pledged $42 billion investment to Pakistan. The money is also expected to be used for the infrastructure development of the Gilgit-Baltistan region, which has largely remained under Pak military control.