Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday (August 27, 2024) strongly condemned the terrorist attacks in the restive Balochistan province as he reiterated the unwavering resolve of his government to root out terrorism from the country.

Heavily armed Baloch gunmen killed at least 37 people in separate attacks in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province on Monday (August 26, 2024), as insurgent attacks spiked in the region bordering Iran and Afghanistan.

Chairing a Cabinet meeting a day after violence in Balochistan stunned the country, Mr. Sharif strongly condemned the terrorist incidents that resulted in the death of innocent Pakistanis including security personnel, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.

He said the sacrifices rendered by the people and the Armed Forces of Pakistan in the war against terrorism will not go waste. “The entire nation is committed for complete elimination of terrorism from the country,” he said.

Mr. Sharif said all available resources would be provided to the Armed Forces to curb terrorism. He said time has come to eliminate terrorism. “We need to move forward towards this path with firm resolve,” he said.

He said doors of dialogue are open for those who believe in Pakistan and its Constitution. However, no talks will be held with the enemies and terrorists, he added.

Referring to the terrorist incidents, he said it is no secret now that the terrorists of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, operating from Afghanistan, are behind terrorist attacks. He said the government has already sensitised the Afghan government on the issue.

He said the terrorist acts being carried out in Balochistan are aimed at creating anarchy and disturbance in Pakistan and to disrupt the steps being taken by the government for development of the country. However, their nefarious designs could not terrorise the people and disrupt the development process.

Mr. Sharif stressed the need for forging unity, saying such despicable designs are only meant to impede the country’s progress, ongoing CPEC projects in Balochistan and undermine the time-tested friendship between Pakistan and China.

He announced to soon visit Balochistan to hold in-depth deliberations on the situation and decide on immediate measures to deal with it.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited Balochistan on Tuesday to support the provincial government in its efforts to tackle militancy.

“My aim to visit is to let you all and the people of Balochistan know that the federal interior minister is standing behind the Balochistan chief minister. Whatever decision he (chief minister Bugti) makes, we will support him,” he told the media in Quetta flanked by Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti.

Mr. Naqvi ruled out any fresh operation, saying that a police station house officer was enough to tackle the law and order with proper and timely response. “They are terrorists and our civil armed forces, armed forces, and the police know how to combat them,” the minister said.

Mr. Bugti on the occasion rejected the impression about lack of response to the terrorist attacks and said that the hunt for terrorists was under way.

“How can you say that there was no response [to the attacks]?” the chief minister said, as he cited the example of a captain who was killed fighting the rebels.

Balochistan faces a double threat by the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and Baloch militants.

Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, is home to a long-running violent insurgency. Baloch insurgent groups have previously carried out several attacks targeting the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.

The separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) is opposed to China’s investments in Balochistan and accuses China and Pakistan of exploitation of the resource-rich province, a charge rejected by the authorities.

Maryam Nawaz.
| Photo Credit: AP

“The selection of Maryam Nawaz as the Chief Minister of the Punjab province is a milestone in Pakistani politics,” the U.S. has said, asserting that it looks forward to cooperating with Islamabad on integrating women more fully into the country’s political life.

Maryam, the 50-year-old daughter of three-time former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, took oath as the first-ever woman Chief Minister of Pakistan’s most populous and politically crucial Punjab province last week.

“Her [Maryam Nawaz Sharif] selection as Chief Minister is a milestone in Pakistani politics,” State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at his daily news conference on March 4.

Maryam is considered the political heir to 74-year-old Nawaz Sharif, the three-time former Prime Minister.

“We look forward to cooperating with Pakistan more broadly on integrating women more fully into the country’s political life, in the economy, including through the U.S.-Pakistan Women’s Council, civil society, and other decision-making spaces,” he said.

“An inclusive Pakistan makes for a strong, prosperous country which all Pakistanis benefit from, and so we are always pleased when we see cracks in the glass ceiling anywhere in the world,” Mr. Miller said in response to a question.

However, he refrained from commenting on the election of the new Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif.

On Monday, Shehbaz (72) assumed the cash-strapped country’s reins for a second time, nearly a month after an inconclusive election marred by allegations of vote rigging.

“I’m not going to speak with respect to the new Prime Minister, but as we’ve said before, we value our longstanding partnership with Pakistan and have always viewed a strong, prosperous, and democratic Pakistan as critical to U.S.-Pakistan interests, and our engagement with new Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his government will continue to focus on advancing these shared interests,” Mr. Miller said.