FC chief says Indian, Afghan agencies behind Balochistan unrest
QUETTA: Frontier Corps (FC) Balochistan chief, Major General Sher Afgan, on Monday said Indian and Afghan intelligence agencies were involved in the prevailing unrest in the restive province.
He said spy agencies of the two countries were behind subversive activities to disrupt peace in the province. "However, our forces with the support of masses foiled designs of enemies", Major General Sher Afgan told reporters at FC headquarters.
More than 50,000 FC personnel have been guarding the border along Afghanistan, and provide security to 416 kilometres of gas pipelines, 300 kilometres of railway lines and other vital national installations in Balochistan, said Maj Gen Afghan.
"Terrorism is the biggest problem in the province", he said. The FC chief said despite receiving support from abroad, only a handful of miscreants were present in Balochistan, adding that "their number is on a constant decline".
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In response to a question, Maj Gen Sher Afgan said the government had already announced a Rs5 billion compensation package for militants laying down their weapons before security forces, adding that amounts ranging from Rs0.5 million to Rs1.5 million were being paid to militants who became part of the peace process.
He reiterated that efforts to make Quetta violence free and to ensure rule of law were underway, adding that no compromises would be made in this regard.
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The FC chief said combined efforts of law-enforcement agencies and the administration had helped in improving the law and order situation in the province.
Earlier, media personnel were given a detailed briefing on the overall law and order situation of the insurgency-hit province.
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Reporters were informed that a 500 km trench had been dug out along the porous Pak-Afghan border to stop the flow of weapons and narcotics into Pakistan.
The width and depth of the trench is 10 feet by 10 feet, said, said Major General Sher Afgan, adding that it had helped security forces in stemming the flow of narcotics and weapons from Afghanistan into Pakistan.