Balochistan Terrorists Possess NATO Weapons, Security Forces’ Blood Is Not Cheap: Sarfraz Bugti

QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti has warned terrorists and their facilitators that strict action will be taken against anyone providing private property or orchards as launching points for attacks on security forces or civilians.

Speaking to the media, the chief minister said police were being empowered to maintain peace in the province and their salaries would be increased to boost the morale of the force.

Bugti said changes were being introduced in the traditional police station culture, while the use of information technology and the Safe City project was helping authorities tighten the net around criminal and terrorist elements, with positive results beginning to emerge.

He warned that if security forces or civilians were attacked from private properties or orchards, the owners would not be treated as innocent citizens but as facilitators of terrorists. He said the government could demolish such properties or relocate people living there to camps, stressing that “the blood of our soldiers is not cheap.”

The chief minister rejected claims that the state was exhausted by the fight against terrorism, calling them propaganda. He claimed that more than 1,000 hardcore terrorists had been killed during the past year.

Bugti alleged that India’s intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), was funding the insurgency in Balochistan. He further claimed that terrorists in the province possessed modern weapons left behind by NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Regarding law and order, the chief minister said police salaries were being brought at par with those of other fighting forces to improve their operational capacity. He said the Quetta Safe City project had helped authorities arrest 40 to 50 terrorists, while a modern complaints system had been activated at the Inspector General’s office as part of reforms in the police station culture.

On recent recruitment controversies, Bugti said his government’s policy was based solely on “merit, merit and merit.” An inquiry committee has been formed to investigate complaints regarding the recent recruitment of tehsildars through the Balochistan Public Service Commission, and the committee is expected to submit its report within seven to 10 days.

He said he would never compromise on merit, even if doing so resulted in political losses or defeat in elections.

Speaking about recent terrorist incidents, Bugti alleged that RAW was directly involved in destabilizing Balochistan and said documented evidence in the form of dossiers had already been provided to the international community.

He issued a stern warning to facilitators of terrorists, particularly those providing shelter in orchards in Mastung and areas along highways, saying the state would not compromise on its writ.

“We are fully aware of guerrilla warfare tactics, and the state is not tired,” Bugti said, adding that the government would defend every inch where terrorists attempted to challenge the writ of the state.

The chief minister also reiterated that his government would not tolerate recommendations, favoritism or nepotism in public-sector recruitment and would prioritize correct and merit-based decisions over politically popular choices.