25 collaborators of Quetta attack arrested: Zehri

ISLAMABAD: Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri on Saturday said that 25 collaborators of the Quetta bomb blast were arrested in an operation and investigation is underway in this regard.

“We will soon share criminals’ footage and other related information to the media as the operation will continue against anti-state elements involved in Quetta strike and other terror incidents,” he said in an interview with the official TV.

He said Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) is behind the Quetta attack and continues funding terrorists in Balochistan. The whole of Balochistan and the country’s people strongly condemned Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi statements regarding Pakistan, he added.

Sanaullah Zehri said Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Chief of the Army Staff, General Raheel Sharif, and he visited the hospital on the day the blast occurred and inquired about the health of injured and expressed sympathies with the injured and they asserted to take the war against terrorism to its logical end.

He announced Rs5 million for each injured in addition better and comfortable health facilities to them in various hospitals, including Aga Khan in Karachi. He said the government was committed to eradicating terrorism from the country.

Terrorists could not weaken our determination against war on terror and we will foil their nefarious designs. He said the entire Baloch leadership and people are united for total elimination of terrorism from the province and the country.

The government has taken effective measures to provide foolproof security to the citizens. The Balochistan CM said the terrorists had attacked the lawyers community in Quetta to sabotage the Independence Day celebrations but the Independence Day was celebrated in the province with fervor, zeal and zest.

Replying to a question, he said the speedy work on the Western Route of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is continuing and it would be completed in 2018. He said industrial zones would be established in six cities including Zhob, Khuzdar, Gawdar, Bostan and two others.

Job opportunities to 0.2 million people would be provided in these industrial zones. It would help reduce poverty and unemployment from the province, he said.

To another query, he said the government has zero tolerance policy regarding corruption as “I have given full attention to rooting out corruption and mismanagement from the province.”

Sanaullah Zehri said the provincial Secretary for Finance Mushtaq Raisani was arrested in a corruption scandal and his case was subjudice in court.

Commenting on PTI protest demonstration politics, he said the PTI could not achieve anything from their protest as the government under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif was working on the agenda of development, prosperity, economic stability and construction of infrastructure.

He said the PTI was enjoying government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and its government had failed to deliver for welfare of the province and masses.