Islamabad: Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has attributed the recent attacks in Balochistan to a criminal-terror nexus supported from within Afghanistan. Speaking on the floor of the House, he stated that the leadership of these terrorists is based in Afghanistan, where they receive full backing.
According to Radio Pakistan, the Minister highlighted that the criminal mafia involved in petrol smuggling and the misuse of Afghan Transit Trade is funding the unrest in the province. He mentioned that the government has cracked down on this smuggling mafia, which is now resorting to criminal activities to recoup their losses through terrorist acts. He revealed that this network was earning approximately four billion rupees daily from petroleum smuggling from Iran.
Khawaja Muhammad Asif further stated that the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and other criminal elements are involved in supporting smuggling activities. He emphasized that the current unrest is not related to a struggle for rights or nationalist politics. He pointed out that around one trillion rupees have been allocated to Balochistan under the Public Sector Development Programme, the largest allocation to any province, but lamented that public funds have been misused.
Discussing casualties from recent terrorist attacks across Balochistan, the Defence Minister reported that 177 terrorists have been killed, while 17 law enforcement personnel and 33 civilians have lost their lives. He refuted the narrative of Balochistan's deprivation, asserting that successive governments have invested significantly in the province's education, health, and infrastructure sectors. He noted the increase in educational institutions and healthcare facilities since 1947.
Addressing the issue of missing persons, the Minister revealed that names of recently killed terrorists appeared on missing persons' lists, and some individuals listed as missing are actually residing abroad. He questioned how these individuals obtained sophisticated American weapons, suggesting the narrative was fabricated to destabilize Balochistan.
Khawaja Muhammad Asif condemned the actions of anti-state and criminal elements who incite hatred, citing incidents where Punjabis traveling through Balochistan were forcibly removed from buses and killed after their identities were verified. He affirmed that no one in Pakistan will be allowed to justify violence and there will be no negotiations with such elements. He stated that terrorists use brute force against civilians and emphasized that the state will respond firmly to terrorist activities.
The Minister called on the nation, especially parliamentarians, to unite and set aside political differences to confront the criminal gang that seeks to legitimize its activities.