Terrorists Attack Under Cover of Orchards, Says Balochistan CM Sarfraz Bugti
QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti has said the state cannot remain silent if firing is carried out from private property, stressing that terrorists have been using orchards as cover to launch attacks.
Speaking in the Balochistan Assembly in response to Leader of the Opposition Younas Aziz Zehri’s demand for clarification over his remarks regarding the cutting of orchards in Mastung, Sarfraz Bugti said his statement had been presented out of context.
The chief minister said terrorists had brutally killed people and security personnel, adding that the suffering of the families of those martyred could be imagined.
Sarfraz Bugti asked what the state’s response should be if firing takes place from someone’s private property. He said terrorists sometimes enter and launch attacks from orchards, adding that it was difficult to accept that terrorists could be hiding in an orchard without the owner knowing about their presence.
He said the government wanted owners of private properties to immediately inform the authorities if terrorists were present there. If someone failed to report their presence, he would be considered a facilitator of terrorists, as every citizen was legally required to remain loyal to the state.
The chief minister said security forces were operating in a “grey area” and stressed the need for a proper civil-military balance in the province.
He also said that entire districts had been evacuated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during security operations, whereas not a single village had been evacuated in Balochistan.
Referring to Karrh Kuchha, Sarfraz Bugti said temporary notices had been issued to a population of around 1,000 people, asking residents to temporarily leave the area so that security forces could conduct an effective operation against terrorism.
He reiterated that his remarks about cutting orchards should be understood in their proper context and were related to security concerns and the use of private properties by terrorists.
