Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti has said the fight against terrorism will continue until the last terrorist is eliminated, stressing that the civil and military leadership is fully aligned on the issue.
Speaking to national media anchors, senior journalists and other representatives via video link from the Chief Minister’s Secretariat in Quetta on Saturday, Bugti said there was no confusion or ambiguity over the government’s policy towards terrorism.
He said security forces were performing their duties under difficult circumstances and state institutions were working in complete coordination in the fight against terrorism.
“There will be no talks with those who take up arms against the state,” the chief minister said.
During the session, Bugti also discussed the province’s overall security situation, development projects, mining and minerals, political affairs and government initiatives.
He said it was not possible to control the entire province from Quetta and suggested that any future provinces in Balochistan should be created on administrative rather than linguistic grounds.
On political developments, Bugti said he was unaware of any agreement for a change in government after two-and-a-half years. He said any decision regarding a change in government rested with the political leadership, adding that he would continue serving the people for as long as he remained in office.
Addressing the issue of corruption, the chief minister said he could not claim that corruption had been completely eliminated, but maintained that it had declined compared with the past. He said steps were being taken to ensure merit in government departments, including educational institutions.
Bugti also said development projects in Balochistan were being completed in record time compared with the past, with the provincial government focusing on making development more effective and aligned with public needs.
Speaking about the repatriation of foreign nationals, he said around 1.1 million Afghan refugees, along with other foreign nationals, had been sent back to their respective countries from Balochistan.
On missing persons, the chief minister said the issue had sometimes been presented in the national media and other forums without the proper context, which he said prevented an accurate picture of the situation from emerging.
Bugti stressed that terrorism was not an issue limited to Balochistan or any single province, but a national challenge requiring collective efforts across Pakistan.
