US, China, Turkiye, Iran strongly condemn Balochistan terrorist attacks

ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI/QUETTA: Global condemnations and pledges of counter-terrorism support for Pakistan have poured in after the killing of 54 people, including 10 soldiers and four law-enforcement personnel, by insurgents in parts of the Balochistan province on Sunday night and Monday.

Of the terror victims, 23 civilians were gunned down and 35 vehicles, which carried them, were torched in were identified by ethnic Baloch attackers as residents of the Punjab province.

The United States condemned the massacres and announced continued support to Pakistan for fighting terrorism. In a statement here, the US Embassy said it “condemned in the strongest terms” the fatal Balochistan attacks, which targeted both security personnel and civilians in Musakhel area. “Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of those killed in yesterday’s attacks. The United States will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Pakistan in its fight against terrorism,” it emphasized.

China, too, decried Balochistan attacks and offered enhanced help for countering terrorism. A spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry Lin Jian told a daily news briefing in Beijing that his country strongly condemned the terrorist attacks and expressed deep condolences over the lives lost. “China stands firm against all forms of terrorism. We will continue giving staunch support to Pakistan in their effort to advance counter-terrorism operations, uphold social solidarity and stability, and protect the safety of the people,” he said. The spokesman said Beijing was ready to further enhance counter-terrorism and security cooperation with Islamabad and jointly safeguard peace and security in the region.

Meanwhile, the Iranian Embassy in Islamabad condemned the “heinous and cowardly” attacks in Balochistan and sympathised with terror victims. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to the government and people of Pakistan, particularly the families who lost loved ones. May God Almighty bless the souls of martyrs,” the embassy said in a Facebook post.

Moreover, the Turkish Embassy also condemned the terrorist incident that took place in Balochistan, saying the country wishes "Allah's mercy upon those who lost their lives and convey our condolences to their families". 

The statement further said that Turkiye stands with Pakistan's government and its people in fight against terrorism.

In a related development, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti called on President Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif separately to discuss the Balochistan situation and measures to eliminate terrorists from the province. President Asif Ali Zardari stressed taking all possible steps to improve the security situation in Balochistan and called for effective measures for the complete elimination of terrorists.

According to the announcement of President House, during the meeting, Mir Sarfraz Bugti and Mohsin Naqvi briefed President Zardari on the recent incidents of terrorism in Balochistan and discussed proposals for maintaining law and order in the province.

Later, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and discussed the overall security situation in Balochistan. The prime minister directed taking every possible measure to improve the law & order situation in Balochistan, identify terrorists involved in recent acts of terrorism and take indiscriminate action against them. “No logic can be presented behind cowardly acts of terrorism in the province,” the prime minister said. He also paid tribute tributes to officers and Jawans of security forces who sacrificed their lives and bravely fought while thwarting further nefarious designs of anti-state elements.

Meanwhile, Captain Muhammad Ali Qureshi Shaheed and other Shaheed soldiers who laid down lives while bravely fighting against terrorists in Balochistan, were laid to rest with full military honours in their native towns on Tuesday. Namaz-e-Janaza of Captain Muhammad Ali Qureshi, 29, was offered in Lahore. It was attended by corps commander, Lahore, and other senior civil and military officers, jawans, relatives and others.

Namaz-e-Janaza of other Shaheed soldiers were attended by senior civil and military officers, relatives and others and later they were buried with full military honours. Naek Attaullah Shaheed, 27 (Mardan), Naek Abdul Majeed Shaheed, 34 (Dera Ghazi Khan), Sepoy Muhammad Saleem, 26 (Mianwali), Sepoy Muhammad Yasir Muhammad Bashir Shaheed, 26 (Multan), Sepoy Muhammad Saqlain Shaheed (Khushab), Sepoy Zeeshanullah (Peshawar), Sepoy Muhammad Shaharyar, 21 (Sargodha), Sepoy Ghulam Muhammad, 21 (Suhbatpur) and Sepoy Zakir Khan, 26 (Suhbatpur) were laid to rest full honours in their native.

These sacrifices have further strengthened the resolve of Pakistan’s security to eliminate terrorism and foil all designs of the enemy which are aimed to sabotage the stability and progress of Pakistan and Balochistan province, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement said.

Meanwhile, Havaldar Abdul Ghafoor, who was martyred in an attack by terrorists in Musakhel, Balochistan, was buried with full military honours in Rahm Kot village. A large number of military and police officers and local people attended his funeral prayer. He along with his wife and children was going on eight-day leave when he was martyred by terrorists in the bus.

The funeral prayer for Nazir Ahmed Sial, a truck driver killed in a Balochistan target-killing incident, was held in Multan on Tuesday. A large number of people attended his funeral prayer. Later, he was laid to rest in a local graveyard. Nazir Ahmed, 35, was a truck driver by profession and he was riding a truck filled with mangoes to drop it in Balochistan when the armed persons off-loaded him from the truck and shot him dead. Meanwhile, Saraiki Qaumi Council (SQC) Chairman, Zahoor Dharija, talking to journalists, announced three days of mourning and demanded the arrest of the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, the bodies of Shahbaz Bhatti and Qadir Aslam, killed by terrorists in Musakhel, arrived in Burewala, marking a sombre day for the community. Shahbaz and Qadir, along with a third companion, had travelled to Quetta to collect grapes, but unfortunately became the target of terrorism in the Musakhel region of Loralai. Both Shahbaz and Qadir were the sole breadwinners of their families, making this tragedy all the more devastating for their loved ones.

Qadir Aslam’s funeral prayers were offered in his native village, 146/EB, where people from across the region come to pay their final respects to the victims of tragedy.

Two people, who were martyred in Balochistan, were buried in Toba Tek Singh. Shahbaz Ahmad was laid to rest in a graveyard at Chak 295/GB while Hamza Gujjar was buried in a graveyard at Chak 294/GB. They were transporting apples and grapes by their mini truck to the fruit markets of Punjab from Quetta.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi reiterated the government’s commitment to eliminating terrorism. He emphasized that there is no need to launch a major operation against terrorists in Balochistan, asserting that even a single Station House Officer (SHO) could effectively deal with them. “Those who think they can intimidate us with cowardly acts of sabotage and undermine the government’s resolve against terrorism are living in a fool’s paradise. They will soon face a stern response from the state,” Naqvi said during a press conference at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, where he was joined by Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti.

Outlining the government’s strategy to bring the culprits to justice, Naqvi stated, “We will go after those responsible for the unrest in Balochistan, including their masterminds and facilitators. The results of our prompt response will soon be evident to all.” He further noted, “The government has adopted a concerted approach against these miscreants. Even Pakistan’s enemies have realized that they have never encountered such a harsh response before.” Naqvi condemned the terrorists for their cowardly attacks on innocent, unarmed civilians, often under the cover of darkness. Naqvi also rejected claims of a delayed response to recent acts of sabotage, stating, “Our forces responded within ten minutes, forcing the terrorists to flee.” The minister explained that the purpose of his visit to Quetta was to reaffirm the federal government’s support for the provincial government.

“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed me to visit Balochistan and ensure that stern action is being taken against the terrorists who have taken innocent lives,” Naqvi added. He noted that both the civil and military leadership are deeply concerned about the law and order situation in Balochistan and are taking concrete steps to address the issue. “Efforts are underway, led by the chief minister, to find solutions to these challenges,” he said.

Earlier, in response to a question, Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Sarfaraz Bugti stated that an effective response mechanism is in place to combat terrorism. “Soon after the attack on the night of August 26th, our forces repelled the assault, sacrificing their lives for the protection of our homeland,” he said. The chief minister shared the sorrow of the families who have lost loved ones in the fight against terror, mentioning an army captain who sacrificed his life, leaving behind a ten-month-old baby and a cancer-stricken father. Bugti highlighted terrorists exploit the vast 4,000-km road network in Balochistan to find soft targets and weak points, furthering foreign agendas by killing innocent citizens.

Later in the day, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi assured Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti that the federal government would fully cooperate with the provincial regime to establish durable peace in Balochistan. This was discussed during a meeting between the two leaders, where they reviewed measures to protect public order and the lives and property of the people.

Chief Minister Bugti reaffirmed that steps are being taken to improve the law and order situation in Balochistan. “A handful of elements are involved in subversive activities, and they will be eradicated,” he said, adding that it is the legal and constitutional responsibility of the government to bring these perpetrators to justice.