- Notes Balochistan attacks devised by not just one body but ‘terrorist organizations had carried them out together’
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday said that the recent flare-up of violence and terrorist attacks in Balochistan was “engineered to ruin” a Pakistan-hosted Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit scheduled to be held in October.
Speaking during a session of the Senate on Friday, Naqvi said: “We have identified clear links showing that they [terrorists] planned to ruin the SCO conference.
“A lot of people are in anguish [about SCO meeting] so that it should not be organized,” he said, adding that the attacks were a conspiracy against the summit.
The interior minister noted that the Balochistan attacks were devised by not just one body but “terrorist organizations had carried them out together”.
“The incident on the night of August 26 was not a normal one. There was complete planning behind it,” the independent senator emphasized.
Under rotating chairmanship, Pakistan is set to host the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting from October 15-16.
Islamabad has also sent an invite to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi despite long-standing tensions over occupied Kashmir and allegations of terrorism.
In the latest flare-up of violence, dozens of militants affiliated with the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) — a separatist outfit — launched numerous attacks on Sunday midnight across Balochistan, killing at least 50, including 14 security men.
“There is no [military] operation being carried out,” the interior minister clarified, responding to another senator’s statements.
Naqvi recalled that during his Thursday visit, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had “very detailed” discussions with the local political stakeholders, in which various decisions were taken after considering their feedback.
“Those who acknowledge Pakistan, we will highly welcome them. They are very respectable for us, though there can be differences [with us], which we are trying our best to address and will do so.
“Those who do not accept the state and take up arms are terrorists and we will deal with them,” Naqvi vowed.
He stressed the need for “clarity and unity” against those who opposed the state.
‘Rs13bn allocated for governance, counterterrorism’
Naqvi also informed the Senate that Rs8 billion have been allocated for Balochistan — Rs1bn for each of the eight divisions — while another Rs5bn for the province’s Counterterrorism Department (CTD).
Those Rs8bn would be used to “solve minor issues with the support of the local MNAs and MPAs”, the senator explained.
“The biggest issue [in Balochistan] is the shortage of government officers, who are the federal government representatives,” the minister said.
Referring to the deputation of the 48th Common Group in Balochistan, the minister said 30-40 officers would head to the province within 10-15 days.
Naqvi further said that “more than a dozen decisions” were taken regarding the province during his visits there.
At least 50 people, including 14 security men, lost their lives as militants went on a rampage across the province earlier this week — storming police stations, blowing up railway tracks, and setting fire to almost three dozen vehicles. In response, security forces neutralised 21 militants.
Among those killed were 23 people in Musakhail, mostly labourers from Punjab, who were offloaded from trucks and vans and shot dead after an identity check.
Naqvi vowed his full support for the Balochistan government in combating terrorism when he visited the province on Tuesday.
Following the spate of attacks, PM Shehbaz asserted that there was “no room for any weakness”, also making a one-day visit to the province to assess the security situation there. Similarly, President Asif Ali Zardari ordered effective measures to ensure the “complete elimination” of terrorism.
