PM Shehbaz Sharif Visits Quetta to Address Balochistan’s Security Crisis After Deadly Attac
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Quetta for a one-day visit to evaluate the security situation in Balochistan after a series of terrorist attacks last week.
The recent surge in violence saw militants from the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) launch multiple assaults across the province late Sunday night, targeting both security personnel and civilians. The attacks claimed the lives of at least 50 people, including 14 security personnel, as militants stormed police stations, blew up railway tracks, and set fire to nearly three dozen vehicles. In response, security forces neutralized 21 militants.
In one of the deadliest incidents, 23 individuals, mostly laborers from Punjab, were offloaded from trucks and shot dead in Musakhail after an identity check.
Shehbaz was accompanied by Deputy PM Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, among other officials. During his visit, he is scheduled to chair a high-level meeting on the overall law and order situation.
Upon his arrival at Quetta Airport, the Prime Minister was received by Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti, Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir, and the newly-appointed provincial police chief Moazzam Jah Ansari. Other officials, including Balochistan Assembly Speaker Abdul Khaliq Achakzai and Provincial Minister for Communication and Works Abdul Rehman Khetran, were also present to welcome him.
Earlier, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi pledged full support to the Balochistan government in its fight against terrorism during his visit to the province. PM Shehbaz Sharif emphasized that there was “no room for any weakness,” while President Asif Ali Zardari called for effective measures to ensure the “complete elimination” of terrorism.
