Reacting to a series of terror attacks across Balochistan a day earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday stressed that there is no room for dialogue with extremists, nor can authorities adopt a soft approach to counter them.
In an address to the federal cabinet, Sharif emphasized the need to eradicate terrorism, stressing the government would provide all necessary resources to the armed forces to achieve this. “Doors of negotiations are open for those who recognize the Constitution and flag of Pakistan, but there is no room for terrorists,” he said.
“Rather than discussing that people from a certain area of Pakistan were offloaded from buses and martyred, I think that it would be more appropriate and effective for the country’s well-being if I say that terrorists martyred Pakistanis,” he said.
Vowing that the inimical intentions of terrorists would fail and they would be crushed, he maintained that they would be eradicated no matter what. Referring to the recent series of attacks, the premier said over 50 civilians and security forces personnel were martyred in the unrest. “Innocent people were killed in Dera Ismail Khan and Karak as well,” he said, emphasizing the ‘Khawarij’ terrorists operated from across the border in Afghanistan.
Condemning the terrorism in Balochistan, Sharif said terrorists wished to halt Pakistan’s development by endangering the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and other development projects. “The terrorists want to create a rift between Pakistan and China as well as [spread] anarchy within the country,” he said.
The prime minister said he would soon visit Balochistan to review the security situation, adding the nation should recognize its enemies and unite to defeat them. He said the terrorists were mistaken in their belief they could achieve their goals by killing innocent people.
Over roughly 36 hours, militants shot dead 23 people—a majority hailing from Punjab—after checking their identity documents. In Khadkocha, militants blocked a highway, attacked a local police station and took Levies officials hostage for several hours. They fled the area as more security forces reached it, but set fire to the premises before doing so.
In Kalat, militants attacked a Levies station, two hotels, and the residence of a tribal elder, resulting in 11 people, including four Levies officials and a police sub-inspector losing their lives and nine others being injured. In retaliatory strikes, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said security forces eradicated 21 militants.