Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Sunday confirmed that at least 145 terrorists have been killed in almost 40 hours across the province after terrorists belonging to Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) launched “coordinated attacks across 12 towns”.
“17 security personnel and 31 civilians embraced martyrdom during the attacks carried out across the province,” the provincial chief executive said while addressing a press conference in Quetta.
He said the provincial government bears the responsibility of taking care of the children of martyrs and disclosed that authorities had received intelligence reports about the planned terrorist attacks and had launched operations a day earlier on the basis of those reports.
He said the bodies of 145 terrorists were in the custody of the authorities and revealed that terrorists in Gwadar had martyred five women and three children. The slain family belonged to Khuzdar and were Baloch, he added.
Bugti slammed hostile elements for trying to destabilise Pakistan at the behest of India and questioned whether the BLA was a registered political party with which negotiations could be held.
He said the group wanted to impose its ideology through the use of guns and reiterated that the government was not prepared to surrender even for a second.
Declaring that “our blood is not cheap,” the chief minister said the perpetrators would not be allowed to escape and warned that the land would be turned into hell for terrorists. He said Balochistan would be taken towards peace and maintained that the use of force had never been carried out in the province in the manner claimed, stressing that only small, targeted operations were conducted.
Bugti explained that terrorists often blend in with civilians and that the state did not want to become brutal like them. He said the perception that large-scale force was being used in Balochistan was incorrect and again described the actions as limited, intelligence-based operations.
Referring to security arrangements, he said terrorists believed they would be able to penetrate the Red Zone, but they failed. He confirmed that Nushki had now been completely cleared and that operations had already been initiated earlier on intelligence information.
He said a Baloch family was targeted and killed by terrorists in a labour colony in Gwadar and questioned why Baloch people were being turned into fuel for violence at India’s behest. Bugti said whenever Pakistan attempts to take off economically and politically, such incidents occur.
He declared that the government was prepared to fight this war for a thousand years if required.
Bugti rejected attempts to link terrorism and violence in Balochistan solely with deprivation and said terrorists merge into civilian populations, making operations extremely sensitive. He added that authorities could have eliminated militants with heavy firepower, including mortars, but refrained from doing so to avoid civilian casualties.
The chief minister said the government engages people through dialogue and jirgas and once again stressed that Balochistan would be taken towards peace. He described the province as a conflict zone where Pakistan was fighting India’s proxy networks and reaffirmed the resolve to continue the fight against terrorism.
This is a developing story and is being updated with further details.
