Attempt Made to Turn Underage Baloch Girl into Suicide Bomber Foiled: Sindh Interior Minister

Karachi – Sindh Interior Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar has revealed that law enforcement agencies in Karachi successfully foiled an attempt to turn an underage Baloch girl into a suicide bomber, preventing a major terrorist incident through timely action.

The disclosure was made during a press conference jointly addressed by the Sindh Interior Minister and Additional Inspector General of Police (CTD) Muhammad Azad Khan. The minister stated that terrorist elements linked to what he described as “Fitna-e-Hindustan” have begun targeting minor children, using social media as a weapon to radicalize innocent minds.

According to the minister, networks affiliated with banned organizations Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) manipulated the young girl and attempted to prepare her for a suicide attack. However, swift and effective action by law enforcement agencies not only saved the child’s life but also protected Karachi from a potential disaster.

Additional IG CTD Sindh said that on the night of December 25, the girl was safely taken into custody during a highly sensitive intelligence-based operation. Investigations revealed that extremist and hateful content on social media was gradually used to influence her mindset. The girl had been secretly using a mobile phone without her mother’s knowledge, which terrorist handlers exploited to establish contact.

Officials said one handler initially approached the girl under the guise of sympathy and assistance, later encouraging her toward suicide bombing. She was deceptively sent to Karachi, but strict checking at police checkpoints prevented the handler from moving her to the intended location, leading to the exposure of the plot.

During debriefing, the girl provided details of the network, communication methods, and handlers involved. Considering her age, authorities immediately contacted her family. Her identity was kept completely confidential, and she was returned to her family with full protection and dignity. Investigations into the terrorist network are ongoing.

During the press conference, recorded statements of the girl and her mother were played for the media with identities concealed. The girl stated that she was first exposed to hateful content on social media, which later appeared repeatedly, followed by links and speeches glorifying death as a noble cause. She said that after learning her father had passed away, the handler exploited her vulnerability by showing false sympathy.

She added that WhatsApp groups portrayed terrorist attacks as acts of bravery. The girl said she later realized the destruction she was heading toward and became extremely frightened when questioned at a police checkpoint.

The girl emphasized that Baloch traditions teach respect for women and that sacrificing women or young girls is not Baloch culture. “Those who recruit in the name of sacrifice are not helpers but predators,” she said.

Her mother said she decided to give a public statement in the interest of society so that no other girl falls into such a trap. She added that the state saved not only her daughter’s life but also protected her dignity and future like a caring mother.

Additional IG CTD Sindh urged social media platforms to take strict action against extremist and terrorist content, shut down such accounts, and improve their algorithms. He also warned parents to closely monitor their children’s online activities, saying that a single mobile phone can endanger an entire family.

He reiterated that under a zero-tolerance policy, facilitators and terrorist networks would be taken to their logical end according to the law, and counterterrorism operations would continue without interruption.

Sindh Interior Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar said the incident is clear evidence that banned terrorist organizations are using women and underage girls as tools. He stressed that suicide attacks are neither permissible in Islam, nor acceptable in humanity or Baloch traditions, and pushing minor girls toward death is the worst form of terrorism and blatant human exploitation.