QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti has said the government does not believe in a large-scale operation to tackle terrorist, but will pursue those involved in killing innocent people until they are brought to justice.

“The state is ready to welcome those who abandon the path of violence and join the mainstream,” he said while speaking at a press conference alongside Adeela Baloch and her father on Monday.

Baloch, a would-be suicide bomber, was arrested during a rec­ent operation by security forces in the Turbat town of Kech district.

At a press conference after her arrest, she claimed that she was misled and brainwashed by terrorists to carry out suicide attacks. “Terrorists are blackmailing and misleading Baloch women to trap them for committing terrorism in the province,” she had said.

Says terrorists blackmailing, misleading Baloch women into terrorism

CM Bugti welcomed Adeela Baloch’s decision to join the mainstream and emphasised that the state would always welcome those who wanted to become responsible citizens and oppose anti-state elements.

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He also praised Adeela’s father and the security forces for their efforts, stating that their actions not only saved her life but also prevented the loss of many others.

Mr Bugti emphasised that Adeela’s return sends a powerful message to those Baloch youths who have been misled by false propaganda to stand against the state.

He condemned the terrorists for turning educated Baloch youth into pawns in a futile war, while the state is providing them with education, even supporting them to pursue PhDs at prestigious universities around the world.

The chief minister said hundreds of other Baloch children, like Adeela, are trapped in terrorist camps. Terrorists deliberately isolate them from the outside world, cutting off communication to prevent them from learning the truth.

“A large number of youth, including educated boys and girls, are reportedly under the control of such miscreants who promised them a bright future and comfortable life hereafter,” he added. He urged parents to monitor their children closely, especially those who have gone missing and may have fallen into the hands of terrorists.

The government, he said, is well aware of the false propaganda pushed by foreign-funded terrorists and urged youth not to become part of these elements but to continue their education to secure a better future.

CM Bugti assured that the state would fulfill its responsibility to protect innocent lives and deal with terrorists with an iron hand. However, he warned the miscreants creating law and order problems not to compel the government to close the door of negotiation and launch major operations.

Expressing the government’s resolve, he said maintaining law and order and security is not a difficult task and that it would take no time to eliminate terrorists. However, the government does not believe in launching military operations because it would cause mass migration and unease for many patriotic Baloch people.

He added that kinetic, intelligence-based operations are being conducted to curb terrorism, targeting those taking innocent lives under the pretense of fighting for Baloch rights and furthering foreign agendas.

‘Not a Baloch tradition’

Condemning the recent killing of labourers in Panjgur, CM Bugti said: “It is not a Baloch tradition to kill innocent workers. If the battle is to kill barbers, then terrorists would be better off ending the war. They [terrorists] are too cowardly to fight the valiant forces, so they take the lives of unarmed civilians in revenge.”

In response to a question, he said both military and civilian forces, along with their leadership, have made significant sacrifices in the fight against terrorism.

Many civilian and armed officers have laid down their lives to protect the motherland, Mr Bugti said. However, he expressed confidence that the government’s policies would bring tangible changes in the near future.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2024