QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti Tuesday said the province was not experiencing an insurgency but rather ‘so called separatist movement’ being exploited by the external forces.
Addressing the 17th National Workshop on Balochistan here, he warned that anti state elements wanted to harm and divide Pakistan, likening their desire to carve the country up “like a cake,” but said their plans will fail.
He criticized those who coined the term “angry Baloch” to justify terrorism, stressing that anyone who resorted to violence at the point of a gun was not “angry” but a terrorist and could not represent the Baloch people.
Bugti recalled that the province’s first Farari camp was established on June 21, 2002, which, he said, fostered terrorism and misled the youth.
He accused Indian intelligence agency RAW of playing a clear and organized role behind the deterioration of law and order in Balochistan, adding that separatist elements followed India’s agenda and were friendly to India.
He said social media propaganda had attempted to create a rift between the youth and the state, but the Balochistan government was engaging with young people on every forum, including universities, to hear their concerns.
He stressed that the fight against terrorism was not only the responsibility of the military or state institutions but also a collective struggle of the entire nation, essential to Pakistan’s survival.
The chief minister said the provincial government viewed the fight against terrorism as its duty and had a clear, uncompromising stance.
He warned that pushing the Baloch people into a corner and responding with violence or a fruitless war will achieve nothing.
Bugti listed concrete governance steps taken by the provincial administration, saying strong measures had been implemented to improve governance, reforms and public services. He said marked improvements were visible in health and education, with 3,200 inactive schools and 164 basic health centers reactivated.
To strengthen counterterrorism efforts, he said the capacity of the Counter Terrorism Department was being enhanced and Rs10 crore had been allocated for this purpose.
He noted that the security forces were conducting operations in difficult areas where it is hard to distinguish friend from foe.
He said the operations were easier when the enemy was clear, but much harder when the enemy hid among the population.
Bugti added that for the past 12 years, assistant commissioners had not been posted in 24 sub districts of the province.
He said the current provincial government had restored the state writ by appointing officers. He reiterated the government’s resolve to defeat those who opposed peace, stability and development in Balochistan.