Islamabad: A day after a series of militant attacks in Pakistan's conflict-torn Balochistan province left over 70 dead, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has urged the need to proceed with a "resolute decision", saying there was "no room for any weakness". He stressed the need to identify the country’s enemies and urged “full unity” among the nation, reported Dawn.
Heavily-armed gunmen affiliated with the separatist group Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) staged a series of insurgent attacks in the province on Sunday and Monday, blocking the inter-provincial highway in the Rarasham district of Musakhel, offloading passengers from buses and shooting them dead. They also stormed police stations, blew up railway tracks and set three dozen vehicles ablaze. At least 37 civilians and 14 police officers were killed in the attacks.
Addressing a federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad, Shehbaz strongly condemned the terrorist incidents and asserted that the country is committed towards the "complete elimination of terrorism". He also said all available resources would be provided to the Armed Forces to curb terrorism. “We have to move forward with a resolute decision. There is no room for any kind of weakness,” he added.
'No discussions with terrorists'
Speaking about the government’s approach towards terrorism in Balochistan, the Pakistani Prime Minister said talks cannot be held with terrorists and the 'enemies' of the country. "Terrorists have no place. No matter what happens, they will be completely eradicated from this country. And for those who believe in dialogue, want to see Pakistan’s flag high and have full belief in the Constitution, the doors for talks with them are always open," he further mentioned.
He further said the terrorists were “mistaken if they believed they could establish their hold by martyring innocent Pakistanis”. Shehbaz also announced that he would soon visit Balochistan to hold talks and review the entire situation, while his Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has already reached Quetta to review the situation, according to Dawn.
He also said the terrorists wanted to stop Pakistan's developmental projects in collaboration with China. This came as China on Tuesday strongly condemned the terrorist attacks and offered firm support to Pakistan in advancing counter-terrorism operations, maintaining social unity and stability and protecting people's safety. The two attacks in Balochistan took place as a top Chinese military official was visiting Pakistan for security assessment, especially for the security of the $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Balochistan's terror crisis
The assaults were the most widespread in years by ethnic militants fighting a decades-long insurgency to win secession of the resource-rich southwestern province, home to major China-led projects such as a port and a gold and copper mine. "These attacks are a well-thought-out plan to create anarchy in Pakistan," Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said in a statement.
The BLA is the biggest of several ethnic insurgent groups that have battled the central government for decades, saying it unfairly exploits Balochistan's rich gas and mineral resources. It opposes the Pakistani government and wants a sovereign state that includes territories in Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. It targets security forces in Balochistan and sometimes Karachi, Pakistan's largest city and economic hub in Sindh province next door.
The Musakhel attack comes nearly four months after a similar incident targeting people from Punjab. In April, gunmen offloaded nine passengers from a bus near Noshki and shot them after checking their ID cards. The separatists in Balochistan have often killed workers and others from the country's eastern Punjab region as part of a campaign to force them to leave the province, which for years has experienced a low-level insurgency.
(with inputs from agencies)
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