Balochistan | Pakistan

Security forces conducted a successful counter-terrorism operation in Dalbandin, Balochistan, eliminating six terrorists linked to an Indian-backed outfit known as Fitna Al-Hindustan.

After complaints by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi regarding bulletproof vehicles provided by the federal government, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Wednesday that the vehicles in question would be sent to Balochistan instead. On Monday, Afridi had blamed the “flawed policy” of the federal government for the resurgence of terrorism being witnessed in the province. He further claimed that the federal government was neither giving KP funds allocated under the country’s ongoing war against terrorism, nor “other constitutional rights”. He had also alleged that the bulletproof cars provided by Naqvi were “defective and old”, adding that they should be recalled. Late on Tuesday, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti had commented on the claims and said that like KP, his province was also affected by terrorism. “It is an appeal to the interior minister that if the KP government is refusing to take the bulletproof vehicles, they should be transferred to the Balochistan government so that t...

The National Party (NP) central leader and MPA Rehmat Saleh Baloch’s brother, Waleed Saleh Baloch, was killed in Balochistan’s Panjgur area on Sunday, according to statements by the party and the province’s chief minister. Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti condemned the incident in a statement and ordered the immediate arrest of the suspects. “All resources will be used to provide justice to the affected family,” the CM said, according to a statement issued by his office. According to the statement, the CM had sought a report from police regarding the incident. Dawn.com has reached out to the police for further details. Meanwhile, the NP also strongly condemned the incident in a statement, adding that the party would observe three days of mourning. It added that at the time of the incident, Waleed was celebrating his wedding. It said that the incident was not only “the murder of an ordinary citizen but also the murder of a person belonging to a dignified and political family who has always believed in ...

Security forces repulsed an attack by the Afghan Taliban along the Balochistan border on Wednesday, killing around 15 to 20 Afghan Taliban, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. According to a statement by the ISPR, Afghan Taliban “resorted to cowardly attack[s] at four locations in [the] Spin Boldak area” in the early hours of Wednesday. “The attack was effectively repulsed by Pakistani forces,” the statement said. It added that as Pakistani troops repelled the attack, 15 to 20 Afghan Taliban were killed and several others were injured. “The situation is still developing. There are reports of further buildup at staging points of Fitna-al-Khwarij and [the] Afghan Taliban,” the statement said. Fitna-al-Khwarij is the state-designated term for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The ISPR said that the attack from the Afghan side was “unfortunately […] orchestrated through divided villages in the area, with no regard for [the] civil population”. “The Afghan Taliban also destroyed the Pak-Afgh...

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Tuesday dismissed the presence of an insurgency in the province, blaming “India-backed so-called separatist movements” for the worsening security situation. In recent months, Balochistan has witnessed a rise in terrorist attacks. The outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), in particular, has adopted new tactics to inflict higher casualties and directly target Pakistani security forces. Addressing participants of the 17th National Workshop in Quetta, the chief minister maintained that there was “no insurgency in Balochistan but so-called separatist movements” in the province. “The purpose of these anti-state elements is to harm and divide Pakistan,” he said. He added that the Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) was behind the deterioration of the security situation in the province. “The Indian agency RAW has a clear role behind the deteriorating situation in Balochistan,” he said. “Separatists are pleased with India but want to harm Pakistan.” CM B...

A 5.0-magnitude earthquake was recorded in Quetta on Sunday evening, the government of Balochistan’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said. According to PDMA, the earthquake was recorded at 06:29pm, approximately 65 kilometres west of Quetta at the geographical coordinates of Latitude 30.19°N and Longitude 66.33°E, with a focal depth of 25 kilometres. The monitoring data were analysed through automatic seismic mode. Tremors of mild to moderate intensity were reportedly felt in Quetta and adjoining areas, it said in a statement. It said that the authority was in coordination with the district disaster management authorities to assess the situation. “As of now, no immediate reports of losses or damages have been received from any district. “The PEOC (Provincial Emergency Operations Centre) [of] PDMA Balochistan is in coordination with DDMAs (District Disaster Management Authorities) to assess the situation,” the authority said in a statement. “As of now, no immediate reports of losses or damages ...

Residents of the Korki area in Balochistan thwarted an attack by India-backed militants, reaffirming their resolve against hostile elements.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday lauded the security forces for eliminating more than 14 terrorists in Khuzdar district. Earlier, a statement issued on X by state broadcaster PTV News said security forces “foiled an attempt to harass peaceful people in the Zehri area” of the district and destroyed multiple terrorist hideouts during an operation while killing over 14 Fitna al-Hindustan members and injuring over 20. In May, the government designated all terrorist organisations in Balochistan as Fitna al-Hindu­stan — a new phrase aimed at framing India’s alleged role in terrorism as a deliberate destabilisation strategy, potentially to galvanise domestic support. Congratulating the security forces, Naqvi hailed the operation as a “major success”, saying that the nation was “proud of the professional capabilities and courage of the security forces”. He further said: “Security forces are determined to eliminate Indian-sponsored terrorists in Balochistan. The people of Balochistan stand with the security ...

Light to moderate rain was likely in parts of Sindh and Balochistan on Saturday as cyclonic storm ‘Shakhti’ over the Arabian Sea had moved westward during the past 12 hours and further intensified into a “severe cyclonic storm”, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said. “It is likely to move west-southwestwards and reach northwest and adjoining central north Arabian Sea by Oct 5, then it will recurve and move east-northeastwards during subsequent 24 hours and weaken gradually,” a notification issued by the PMD said. It said that under the influence of the storm, wind/thunderstorm and light to moderate rain was likely today in Sindh’s Badin, Thatta, Sujawal and Jamshoro districts, and Balochistan’s Hub, Lasbela, Awaran and Kech districts, as well as at isolated places in Karachi Division. The notification stated that sea conditions were likely to remain “rough to very rough” with squally winds gusting 55 kilometres/hour near the Sindh coast. It also advised fishermen not to venture into the deep sea t...

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday commended the Security Forces for their successful operation in the Shirani district of Balochistan, which resulted in the elimination of seven Indian-sponsored terrorists.

Security forces killed seven terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Balochistan’s Sherani district, the military’s media affairs wing said on Friday. In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that on October 1, security forces conducted an IBO in Sherani on the reported presence of terrorists belonging to Indian proxy, Fitna al Khawarij. Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). “During the conduct of [the] operation, own forces effectively engaged the terrorists’ location, and after an intense fire exchange, seven Indian-sponsored terrorists were sent to hell,” the ISPR said. It added that weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the terrorists, who remained actively involved in “numerous terrorist activities” in the area. According to the ISPR, a sanitisation operation was underway to eliminate other terrorists in the area. “The security forces of Pakistan are determined to ...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Friday praised Pakistan’s security forces for eliminating seven India-supported terrorists belonging to the group Fitanah al-Khawarij in the Sherani district of Balochistan.

Security forces killed seven terrorists in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) conducted in Sherani district of Balochistan, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Friday.

The Government of Balochistan has announced a blanket ban on poppy seeds (khashkhash), prohibiting their sale, purchase, transportation, and possession with immediate effect.

Eleven people were killed and six others injured in two separate traffic accidents in Balochistan on Saturday, local officials told Dawn.com. The first incident, in the Panjgur district, involved a pickup truck laden with fuel and a passenger coach colliding near Panjgur Bazaar, according to Assistant Commissioner Jawad Zehri. “The crash was so severe that both vehicles immediately erupted into flames,” Zehri said, adding that a passing motorcyclist was also caught in the fiery collision and injured. “Eight people were burnt alive at the scene of the accident, six of whom were aboard the passenger coach,” he told Dawn.com. “The deceased have been identified; six of them are said to be from Khuzdar and the other two from Panjgur.” AC Zehri added that the injured motorcyclist, who is in critical condition, has been referred to Karachi for treatment. “Levies personnel have begun investigating the incident and the bodies of the deceased are being sent to their native areas,” he said. Meanwhile, three people were ...

ISLAMABAD - Chief Minister of Balochistan, Mir Sarfraz Bugti, and the Prime Minister’s Coordinator on Climate Change, Romina Khurshid Alam have agreed to accelerate the climate agenda through new projects and closer cooperation between provinces and the federal government.

At least four people were injured as a blast derailed six bogies of the Jaffar Express near Spezand town in the Dasht tehsil of Balochistan’s Mastung district, according to officials. With a rise in terrorist attacks over the past few years, Balochistan has seen a series of incidents where militants blow up train tracks, targeting the province’s transport infrastructure. Balochistan Health Department and Quetta Civil Hospital spokesperson Dr Waseem Baig told Dawn.com: “Three people were injured in the blast and have been shifted to the Civil Hospital Trauma Centre, while an injured child has been taken to Combined Military Hospital.” Muhammad Kashif, Pakistan Railways’ Quetta division public relations officer, told Dawn.com that a railway track was blown up with explosives in the town of Spezand, derailing six bogies. “The train was coming from Peshawar to Quetta and there were 270 passengers on board,” he said, adding that a relief train was dispatched from Quetta after the explosion, while a team of officer...

A large-scale anti-narcotics campaign has been launched in Balochistan to eradicate poppy cultivation and dismantle drug networks across the province.

Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti on Sunday strongly condemned the murder of kidnapped Ziarat Assistant Commissioner Muhammad Afzal Baqi and his son. In a statement from his office, CM Bugti said that the killing could not be condemned enough and hailed Baqi as a “dutiful, hardworking and capable officer who discharged his responsibilities with honesty and integrity”. “The martyred Assistant Commissioner Muhammad Afzal sacrificed his life while fulfilling his responsibilities and will live on in the hearts of the people,” the statement read. While paying tribute to the martyred AC and his son, he said that their deaths would not be in vain. “[The CM] made it clear that the killers of innocent people and enemies of peace will never be able to escape their fate,” the statement read. “The sacrifices of the martyrs are a beacon [of] light in the journey of establishing peace and stability in Balochistan.” The AC and his son were kidnapped in August by armed suspects while on a picnic in the Zezri area,...

At least five people were killed and one was injured in a blast in Balochistan’s Chaman on Thursday, according to police. Chaman District Police Officer Abdullah Cheema told Dawn.com that the explosion occurred near a taxi stand in the Pak-Afghan border area of ​​Chaman. “Five people killed and one injured in the explosion near a vehicle,” he said, adding that police and rescue teams were dispatched to the spot. A statement from the Balochistan Home Department said it ordered an investigation into the incident. “The scene of the incident has been surrounded by forces. Levies and other law enforcement agencies are present at the scene. The process of collecting evidence and investigation is underway,” it said, adding that a probe was underway to find out the nature and reasons of the explosion. The government also appealed to the public to avoid rumours and cooperate with law enforcement agencies. There has been an increase in the frequency of attacks in Balochistan as of late. Yesterday, two police stations a...