KARACHI: Pakistan’s Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on Wednesday vowed that “terrorists” and facilitators of last week’s Balochistan attacks will not be spared, praising security forces for maintaining law and order, the military’s media wing said.
The Pakistan military chief’s statement came after deadly coordinated attacks in Balochistan on Friday and Saturday. The attacks were claimed by the separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) militant group. Pakistani officials have said 197 militants have been killed since then, while 33 civilians and 17 law enforcement personnel lost their lives in the attacks.
Munir visited Balochistan’s provincial capital Quetta where he received a detailed briefing on the prevailing security situation and military operations in the area following the attacks, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
“The COAS & CDF remarked that no terrorist and its facilitator will be spared and all will be dealt strictly as per law and that no one can rationalize violence and terrorism on any pretext,” the ISPR said.
“He appreciated the professionalism, valor, and sacrifices of officers and troops of all law enforcement agencies in thwarting nefarious anti-Pakistan designs and maintaining law and order.”
The military chief later visited the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Quetta to inquire about the health of the injured army, paramilitary Frontier Corps and police personnel.
Pakistan’s government has accused India of being involved in the Balochistan attacks, charges which New Delhi has dismissed as “baseless.”
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by land area, has long faced a separatist insurgency that has intensified in recent years. Militants frequently target security forces, government officials, infrastructure projects, foreigners and non-local workers.
The province holds vast reserves of minerals and hydrocarbons and is central to the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Separatist groups such as the BLA accuse Islamabad of exploiting Balochistan’s natural resources while denying locals a fair share. Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership reject the claim and say they are investing in the province’s development.
