Security forces today launched a full-scale counterterrorism operation in the suburban areas of Quetta, including Hanna Urak and Babri, to eliminate militant elements and safeguard the lives and property of citizens, Special Assistant to the Balochistan Chief Minister for Political Affairs and Media Shahid Rind said on Monday.
Addressing a press conference at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat alongside Provincial Minister for Home Mir Ziaullah Langove, Rind said the operation was progressing effectively and would continue uninterrupted until militants were completely eliminated. He said security forces had inflicted heavy losses on the terrorists and were pursuing them in a highly professional manner.
Rind said four personnel of the Anti-Terrorism Force (ATF) were injured during the operation and were receiving immediate medical treatment. He expressed hope for their speedy recovery and said security personnel were displaying exceptional courage and sacrifice in the fight against terrorism.
He said security had been further strengthened at all entry and exit points of Hanna Urak and Babri to prevent the movement of militants and deny anti-state elements any opportunity to escape. He added that the Balochistan government had adopted a zero-tolerance policy toward terrorism and would utilise all available resources to restore peace. He further said action against terrorists and their facilitators would continue until its logical conclusion.
Rind said the protection of citizens’ lives and property remained the government’s foremost priority and that all necessary precautionary measures had been taken to ensure that residents did not face unnecessary hardship during the operation.
He urged the public to disregard rumours and rely only on information issued by the Balochistan government, law enforcement agencies, and other authentic official sources. He added that the government was closely monitoring the situation and would continue to keep the public informed with timely and verified updates.
Speaking at the press conference, Provincial Minister for Home Mir Ziaullah Langove alleged that India was providing financial support to terrorist groups, while Afghanistan had offered safe havens to militants. Responding to a question regarding reports about the presence of Afghan soldiers and officials of the former Afghan government in parts of
Balochistan, he described such claims as social media propaganda. He said citizens could submit written complaints to the Balochistan Home Department if they had information about the presence of armed individuals anywhere in the province. Responding to another question about the removal of Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran as Provincial Minister for Public Health Engineering, Langove said Balochistan had a coalition government and that Khetran’s removal was an internal matter of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. Therefore, he said, it would not be appropriate for him to comment on the issue.