Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. | Photo courtesy: Reuters
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday (August 27, 2024) strongly condemned the terrorist attacks in the restive Balochistan province and reiterated his government’s unwavering resolve to root out terrorism from the country.
Heavily armed Baloch gunmen At least 37 people were killed Two militants were killed in separate attacks in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province on Monday (August 26, 2024) while insurgent attacks increased in the region bordering Iran and Afghanistan.
Chairing a Cabinet meeting a day after violence in Balochistan stunned the country, Mr Sharif strongly condemned the terrorist incidents resulting in the death of innocent Pakistanis, including security personnel, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.
He said the sacrifices made by the people of Pakistan and the armed forces in the war against terrorism will not go in vain. “The entire nation is committed to the complete eradication of terrorism from the country,” he said.
Mr Sharif said the armed forces would be provided with all available resources to curb terrorism. He said the time had come to end terrorism. “We need to move ahead on this path with determination,” he said.
He said the doors of dialogue are open for those who believe in Pakistan and its constitution. However, there will be no talks with enemies and terrorists.
Referring to terror incidents, he said it is no longer a secret that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan terrorists operating from Afghanistan are behind terror attacks. He said the government has already apprised the Afghan government on this issue.
He said that the terrorist activities being carried out in Balochistan are aimed at spreading anarchy and unrest in Pakistan and disrupting the steps being taken by the government for the development of the country. However, their nefarious designs could not terrorise the people and disrupt the development process.
Stressing the need to build unity, Mr Sharif said such nefarious designs were only aimed at hampering the country’s progress, ongoing CPEC projects in Balochistan and undermining the time-tested friendship between Pakistan and China.
He announced to visit Balochistan soon to have in-depth discussions on the situation and decide on immediate measures to deal with it.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited Balochistan on Tuesday to support the provincial government in its efforts to combat militancy.
“The purpose of my visit is to tell all of you and the people of Balochistan that the federal interior minister stands behind the chief minister of Balochistan. Whatever decision he (Chief Minister Bugti) takes, we will support him,” he told media in Quetta along with Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti.
Ruling out the possibility of any new operation, Mr Naqvi said a police Station House Officer is enough for law and order to give a proper and timely response. “They are terrorists and our civil armed forces, armed forces and police know how to deal with them,” the minister said.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Bugti rejected the notion of lack of response to terror attacks and said the search for terrorists was ongoing.
“How can you say there was no response? [to the attacks]The Chief Minister said this, citing the example of a Captain who was killed while fighting the rebels.
Balochistan faces a dual threat from the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Baloch militants.
Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, has long been home to a violent insurgency. Baloch insurgent groups have previously carried out several attacks targeting the US$60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.
The separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) opposes Chinese investment in Balochistan and accuses China and Pakistan of exploiting the resource-rich province, a charge rejected by authorities.