Fight against terrorism to continue until last militant is eliminated: Balochistan CM Bugti

ISLAMABAD: Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti on Saturday said the fight against terrorism would continue as long as “a single terrorist remains” in the province, stressing that the civilian and military leadership were united in their approach to tackling militancy.

“There is no ambiguity or confusion on this,” Bugti said while speaking via video link to national media anchors, senior journalists and other representatives at the Chief Minister Secretariat in Quetta.

The chief minister said security forces were performing their duties under difficult circumstances and that state institutions were working in complete coordination against terrorism.

“There will be no talks with those who take up arms against the state,” he said.

Bugti also argued that terrorism was not a problem confined to Balochistan but a challenge facing the entire country, requiring coordinated efforts at the national level.

Responding to questions on governance and administrative reforms, the chief minister said it was not possible to effectively manage the entire province from Quetta alone. He said that if new provinces were to be created in Balochistan, they should be formed on administrative rather than ethnic grounds.

On reports of a power-sharing arrangement in the provincial government, Bugti said he was unaware of any agreement under which the government would change after two-and-a-half years. Any decision regarding a change in government rested with the political leadership, he said, adding that he would continue serving the public for as long as he remained in office.

The chief minister acknowledged that he could not claim corruption had been completely eradicated but said it had declined compared with previous years. He said the government was also working to ensure merit across public departments, including educational institutions.

Bugti said development projects were being completed in record time compared with the past, with the provincial government focusing on making development spending more effective, results-oriented and responsive to public needs.

On the repatriation of foreign nationals, he said 1.1 million Afghan refugees, along with other foreigners, had been sent back to their countries from Balochistan.

Addressing the issue of missing persons, Bugti said it had at times been presented by national media and other forums without adequate context, resulting in what he described as an incomplete picture of the situation.

Earlier, officials briefed participants on Balochistan’s socio-economic conditions, development projects, mining and mineral resources, law and order, police reforms, the Provincial Action Plan, the integration of the Levies Force into the police, and progress on the Safe City project.