Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday stressed that there will be no dialogue with terrorists, adding that talks can proceed only with those elements who believe in the Constitution and flag of Pakistan.
Chairing a high-level meeting of the National Action Plan’s provincial apex committee in Quetta after a series of tragic attacks across Balochistan earlier this week, he emphasized the need for collective efforts to eliminate terrorism from the province. Eradicating terrorism, he said, was essential for the country’s prosperity.
Early on Monday, 50 people, including 14 security personnel, were martyred in various terrorist attacks across Balochistan, with the banned Baloch Liberation Army claiming responsibility. The deadliest attack of the day took place in Musakhel, with extremists offloading at least 23 passengers from buses and trucks and killing them after checking their identity documents. Also on Monday, at least 10 people, including police and Balochistan Levies personnel, were martyred in a gun attack in Kalat. In subsequent clearance operations that killed 21 militants, at least 14 security personnel were martyred.
The horrific attacks have triggered a national call for action, with Sharif stressing during the meeting that the “blood of martyrs will not go in vain.” Describing Monday’s attacks as “tragic and barbaric,” he noted the entire country was grieving and vowed to crush the ‘Khwarij’ who had targeted innocent civilians.
Stressing that Balochistan was an important and beautiful province of Pakistan, Sharif said it was time to permanently remove all obstacles to its development and prosperity. Regretting that terrorism had retrenched in the country after 2018, he reiterated that the government was determined to crush all those involved in such activities.
During the meeting, the prime minister expressed his complete trust in the professional capabilities of the armed and civilian forces. Under the guidance of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen. Asim Munir, and with full cooperation from the federal government and the leadership of Balochistan, terrorism would be rooted out, he maintained.
Sharif alleged that enemies of Pakistan wished to hinder the progress of Balochistan and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) but would not succeed. He also announced that the government had devised a policy to appoint “competent and talented officers” in Balochistan, adding that officers of the 48 Common Training Program would be deployed in the province for a year. “Half of the officers will be deployed immediately and remaining after six months,” he said, adding this would be a requirement for their future promotions.
The prime minister said the government would offer incentive for officers deployed in the province, including air tickets for their families every three months and an additional three points for performance-based evaluations. He said this policy would be implemented in consultation with the Balochistan government.
Apart from the prime minister, Army chief Gen. Asim Munir; Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar; Balochistan Governor Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhail; Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti; Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi; and various other ministers and civil and military officials attended the meeting.