Balochistan CM praises security forces, says terrorists cannot succeed

ISLAMABAD: Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti on Tuesday declared that terrorists would not be allowed to impose their system on Pakistan. The CM also reiterated the nation’s support for its armed forces and calling for unity in safeguarding the state.

Speaking at a news conference in Islamabad, Bugti said the country takes pride in its martyrs and welcomed recent developments in which militants laid down their arms. He confirmed that around 100 militants had surrendered to authorities in Dera Bugti, reiterating that “the state has left the door of forgiveness open” for anyone willing to renounce violence.

Bugti said that the stability and integrity of the state must come above all personal and political considerations. Sharing security statistics, he stated that 900 terrorism-related incidents occurred over the past year, during which 760 militants were killed. He added that 280 civilians and 205 paramilitary personnel were martyred in the same period, including two officers from Balochistan.

“We defeated an enemy seven times bigger than ourselves in the fight for justice,” he said, asserting that terrorists would never succeed in enforcing their ideology on the Pakistani people. Bugti also criticised what he described as anti-state narratives targeting Pakistan, its military, and national institutions.

He warned that any narrative weakening the state must be abandoned, saying that certain political groups were pursuing “a narrative of fame” that the public had already rejected, citing recent by-elections in Punjab.

Bugti also commented on regional developments, stating that the Taliban government in Afghanistan was not fulfilling its commitments to the international community. “A country like Afghanistan has been suffering from instability for decades,” he said, urging Pakistanis to reassess their own attitudes and behaviors. “If there is no state, there is no politics.”

Addressing concerns about security operations in Balochistan, he clarified that no military operations were underway in the province. “Only intelligence-based operations are ongoing,” he said, dismissing claims of widespread force being used.

The chief minister also voiced support for DG ISPR’s recent press conference, condemned propaganda against the Pakistani army, and stressed that the people of Balochistan “were with the Pakistani army, are with it, and will remain with it.”

He concluded by urging political leaders, specifically mentioning CM Sohail Afridi, to work toward peace and development in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and reminded the nation that dissatisfaction should be directed at poor governance or corruption, “not the state itself.”