Pakistan minister chairs meeting to discuss strategy to tackle militancy in Balochistan

Islamabad: Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in a high-level meeting on Balochistan’s security situation on Sunday discussed the strategy to enhance security and combat the threat of militancy, a day after a suicide bombing at a crowded railway station in the provincial capital of Quetta killed 27 people.

The security forces in Pakistan's Balochistan province will expand their intelligence-based operations to tackle the escalating threat of militancy, Naqvi said following the high-level meeting with Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti and other senior officials.

Naqvi said it was decided during the meeting to take decisive steps with "full force to crush the terrorists and expand intelligence-based operations to thwart the nefarious designs of anti-state elements".

He also said the federal government would provide all possible support to the Balochistan government to fight the threat of terrorism.

Naqvi offered condolences to the victims' families and said, “This fight against terrorism is a collective responsibility, and victory against our enemies is our only option.” Bugti in his remarks reaffirmed the provincial government was committed to improving law and order. “A small group of elements is responsible for these attacks, and we are determined to eliminate them,” he said.

Pakistan has been battling a low-level insurgency led by ethnic Baloch extremists in the mineral-rich province who target civilians as well as security forces in the province to push the government to meet their demands.