‘Banned outfits using women, children for terrorism in Balochistan’

QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister’s Spokesman Babar Yousafzai on Wednesday said women and youth of the province were being misled by banned organisations with the objective to disrupt the development process in the country, particularly in Balochistan.

He said anti-peace elements were exploiting the women, who were mostly of poor background, uneducated and having no knowledge of law. Widows were being brainwashed and instigated against the state.

Flanked by Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Aitzaz Goraya, the CM's spokesman told a conference that first two women involved in anti-state activities were arrested and then on February 17, Mahil Baloch was nabbed with suicide jackets. She said the arrest of three women showed how the miscreants were exploiting the females.

As per Islamic as well as Baloch traditions, women were not checked at the posts by security personnel and that was why the anti-state elements were trying to the use them for their ulterior designs and terrorist activities. Still a large section of the women did not fall in their trap as they loved their motherland, he added. He said Mahil Baloch was to carry out a big terrorist activity in the province and the suicide jackets recovered from her possession were to be used for the purpose. Her husband Aziz Yousaf Baloch was also arrested and they had all evidence of their involvement in terror activities. The security agencies by taking the timely action had foiled a massive terrorism bid, he added.

The spokesman said Mahil Baloch during the investigation had admitted that banned organisations were using women and children for their nefarious anti-state designs.

He said Mahil Baloch told her investigators that one Sharbat Gul had delivered the suicide jackets to her with the instructions to keep the same with her and she would be told later to whom to deliver the same. She claimed that she was threatened by the banned organisation that her children would be killed in case she refused to indulge in terrorism activities. He said Mahil Baloch was not tortured, rather she was kept in custody like a mother and sister.

The banned organisation had distanced itself from her, he added. He said the cowardly terrorists were using women and children as shields for ulterior motives. However, they would not succeed in their designs if the mothers, sisters and girls of Balochistan did not fall in their trap.

Babar Yousafzai said Mama Qadir had also been exposed as he used the people to block roads and resort to protest after misleading them.

DIG Aitzaz Goraya said after the investigations, warrants would be taken from courts to arrest the miscreants and facilitators in the light of the evidence retrieved from Mahil Baloch.