QUETTA: Mir Abdul Qudus Bizenjo, the chief minister of Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, on Friday said his government was open to talks with separatists after a fresh attack wounded six people, including two security men, in a town bordering Afghanistan.
Bizenjo’s statement came days after militants from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) killed seven Pakistani troops in twin assaults in the Naushki and Panjgur districts, according to the Pakistani military.
The Naushki assault was quashed on Thursday, but a clearance operation was still underway in Panjgur, where Pakistani forces battled with militants for a third day Friday. At least 16 militants have been killed so far.
CM Bizenjo said the operation in Panjgur would continue until the elimination of all attackers, referring to Wednesday's attacks as an attempt to derail talks his government initiated with Baloch militants last year.
"We have never closed our doors for peace talks with proscribed Baloch armed groups and we would continue our efforts till the end to hold talks with militants, because we seek to resolve Balochistan's issue with dialogue," he told reporters in Quetta.
"The recent attacks in Balochistan would disturb the development process in the province, which is half of Pakistan."
Baloch separatists have waged an insurgency in the vast southwestern province for years, fueled by anger that its abundant reserves of natural resources are not relieving citizens from crushing poverty.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project has inflamed grievances, with claims the vast influx of investment does not benefit locals. Separatist militants have frequently targeted Chinese interests, and while the economic corridor offers a lucrative gateway for China to the Indian Ocean, the security of its workers has long been a concern.
Also on Friday, six people, including two paramilitary soldiers, were injured after a bomb targeted a Levies check-post in the Chaman district, in a fresh attack to rattle the restive province.
“Six people, including two Levies soldiers and a child, were injured in the attack,” Chaman District Police Officer (DPO) Muhammad Ali Kasi told Arab News.
“One critically injured person was referred to Quetta for better medical care.”
Separately, the BLA said its fighters were in control of the paramilitary camp in Panjgur even after 48 hours and they had killed 170 Pakistani soldiers in the twin assaults, a claim authorities dismissed as "totally false".
Baloch separatists frequently exaggerate their battlefield successes, while the Pakistan military's public relations department also plays down losses, or delays reporting them.
The Pakistani army also said it had killed three militants, including two high-value targets, in a follow-up clearance operation in the Kech district.