In the wake of recent violent incidents across Balochistan, President Asif Ali Zardari has directed the Interior Minister and Balochistan Chief Minister to take effective measures to ensure the ‘complete elimination’ of terrorism.
The president met with the interior minister and Balochistan chief minister on Tuesday to discuss the security and law and order situation in the province, according to a statement by the PPP. They briefed the recent terror attacks that have shaken the region.
President Zardari emphasized the need for decisive action to improve the security environment in Balochistan. He stressed that “all possible steps should be taken to eliminate terrorists” and restore order in the province.
The president’s directive comes in response to the spate of violence that has plagued the country, particularly in Balochistan. The statement from the President’s House underscores the gravity of the situation and the government’s determination to combat the menace of terrorism.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has ruled out options for any operation in Balochistan, claiming that a station house officer (SHO) of police can defeat terrorists.
“There is no need for any operation; they only need an SHO’s [station house officer] response and they will [remain at that level],” he told reporters during his visit to Quetta the day after militants killed over 40 civilians in a spate of attacks. “Our civil armed forces, armed forces, and police know how to deal with terrorists.”
Naqvi was responding to a query on the future course. The minister later clarified he was only citing an SHO as an example and that the operation would entail efforts on a larger scale.
The majority of the civilians were killed after their identity check. The deceased belonged to Punjab. The banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) had claimed responsibility for the attack on Sunday midnight across the province. They also targeted security personnel.
They stormed police stations, blew up railway tracks, and set fire to almost three dozen vehicles.
“Everyone — [including] the president, prime minister, and the army chief — is concerned for Balochistan and is working towards a solution,” Naqvi said.
A day earlier, he spoke on the same wavelength as Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti and stated that those who killed people were terrorists, not Baloch.
Naqvi told reporters that he visited the province and skipped the federal cabinet meeting on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
“While some actions may be apparent to you, some are under way at the backend, which the chief minister himself is leading,” Naqvi said and reiterated that the federal government would provide the Balochistan CM with whatever support he needed.
“Those thinking that they can relay their message or scare us through these incidents will soon receive a ‘good message’,” he said, “we have to pursue those who are planning these [attacks], perpetrating this and forming this entire strategy.”
“You will see in the coming days; God-willingly, they all (terrorists) will be dealt with,” the interior minister vowed.
He slammed the terrorists for “carrying out attacks while in hiding” and added that they should have had the courage to “come face to face” with the security forces.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti has vowed to leave no stone unturned in the hunt for the perpetrators, promising to confront them at “any cost and every cost.”
Speaking alongside Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, CM Bugti provided a detailed account of the security challenges facing the province and the strategies being deployed by the terrorists to evade detection.
Bugti acknowledged the sacrifices made by the security forces, citing the example of a captain who was martyred while responding to a terror-related incident. “He sacrificed his life for the people of Balochistan,” the chief minister said, assuring that the government stands with the families of the 53 bereaved.
The chief minister highlighted the vast geographical expanse of Balochistan, with 4,000 kilometres of roads across the province, which allows the terrorists to find “an inch of area” to operate and conduct reconnaissance before striking.
“They carry out reconnaissance and find our weakest spot. They come for half an hour, find the softest target, offload passengers from a bus and shoot them dead,” Bugti explained, underlining the complexity of the security situation.
The spate of terrorist attacks sparked a heated debate in the Senate, with the JUI lawmaker questioning the role and response of the intelligence agencies in the province.
In the Senate session on Tuesday, JUI Senator Kamran Murtaza launched a scathing critique of the government’s handling of the situation, accusing it of failing to assert its writ “even at the level of a SHO (Station House Officer) for several hours during the incident.”
Murtaza questioned how investment could be expected to flow into the province given such situation and asked what the intelligence agencies were doing amid the crisis. He criticized the agencies’ slow response, calling it a “great injustice” and warning that such events could occur with even greater intensity if the concerns of the province’s people were not addressed.
The opposition leader in the Senate, Shibli Faraz, echoed similar sentiments, lamenting that the issues plaguing Balochistan had been ongoing for decades, depriving the province of its rightful share of resources. Faraz stressed the need for political solutions, stating that the “use of power is the last resort, especially when it’s your own people.”
In response, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar acknowledged the need for negotiations with those willing to accept the state of Pakistan, but firmly stated that the House would unanimously condemn “those who kill innocents under the guise of grievances.”
