Balochistan attacks a 'conspiracy' to sabotage SCO summit: interior minister

ISLAMABAD: Calling the August 26 attacks in Balochistan "completely planned," Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi on Friday said that the incident was a “plot to sabotage” upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit to be hosted by Pakistan next month.

Balochistan faced a series of horrific attacks that resulted in over 50 deaths, including 14 security personnel, as militants affiliated with the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) targeted civilians, police, and security forces.

In one of the deadliest attacks, at least 23 passengers were killed after being offloaded from passenger buses and trucks in the Rarasham area of Balochistan's Musakhel.

Separately, at least 10 people, including police and Levies personnel, were martyred in a gun attack in Kalat.

Furthermore, at least 14 brave sons of soil, including 10 security forces soldiers and four personnel of law enforcement agencies (LEAs), were martyred in clearance operations, wherein at least 21 militants were neutralised.

Meanwhile, Pakistan is set to host SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting from October 15-16.

In this regard, Islamabad extended invitations to all heads of government of the member states, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi despite strained ties.

Speaking on the floor of the Senate today, the interior minister said that the Balochistan attacks were carried out by “two to three terrorist organisations”.

“A lot of people are in anguish as they don't want Pakistan to host the [SCO] meeting,” he said, adding that the August 26 incident was a “conspiracy to sabotage the summit”.

Naqvi further said that no operation was being launched in Balochistan while “stringent action would be taken against those who did not accept the state and took up arms”.

He also said that the apex committee reviewed the decisions related to the National Action Plan (NAP) and coordinated with the federal and provincial institutions, adding: “Parliament is supreme and will remain supreme.”

Giving details of the Thursday's meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Quetta, the minister said that dialogue could only be held with those who respect the Constitution of Pakistan and salute the national flag.

He said the meeting decided to provide Rs5 billion to the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) to enhance capacity against terrorism while Rs8 billion including Rs1 billion would be given to each division of the province for the development which would be spent with their local parliamentarians recommendations.

The security czar said that to overcome the shortage of federal government employees as many as 30 to 40 officials would be deputed in the province within two days.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant attacks since the Taliban government returned to power in neighbouring Afghanistan in 2021, mostly in the northwestern border province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but also in southwestern Balochistan, which abuts Afghanistan and Iran.

There were at least 170 militant attacks killing 151 civilians and 114 security personnel in Balochistan last year, according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies.

Islamabad accuses Kabul's new rulers of failing to root out militants sheltering on Afghan soil as they prepare to stage assaults on Pakistan.

— With additional input from APP