Announces handover of weapons of 100 militants in Dera Bugti, calls development a ‘welcome and positive step’
Chief Minister of Balochistan, Mir Sarfraz Bugti. Photo: APP/File
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti condemned elements spreading false narratives against the Pakistani armed forces, saying, “Some political parties are spreading anti-state propaganda, while their own children are studying abroad. Our state is more important than politics.”
Speaking at a press conference, CM Bugti announced that 100 militants had surrendered their weapons at Dera Bugti, terming the development a “welcome and positive step”. “The state is paramount. Those who surrender must be welcome,” Bugti said.
He recalled that former chief minister Jamal Raisani’s father was martyred in 2018 and pointed out that the surrendered militants were earlier associated with terrorist organisations. “They have recognized the authority of the state; we should welcome them. When people surrender, extremism in Balochistan will decrease,” he said.
Over the past year, 900 incidents occurred in the province, resulting in the martyrdom of 205 security forces and 280 civilians, Bugti noted. During the operations, 760 terrorists were killed.
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“Pakistan and its flag are more important than anything else,” he said. “The martyrs are our pride,” he added.
Bugti stressed that the Afghan authorities had assured the world, within the framework of the Doha agreement, that Afghan territory would not be used for terrorist purposes. “The Taliban regime has violated this promise,” he added. Two officers from Balochistan were among the martyrs, Bugti said, recalling an earlier attack on his own vehicle in which two people were injured.
The Chief Minister hailed the nation’s support for the security forces: “The entire nation stands with our brave security forces. » He warned that militancy in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan posed a serious security challenge, but stressed that the Pakistan Army is organized, fully prepared and capable of countering threats.
“The dream of imposing an extremist system is impossible in the presence of the nation and armed forces,” he said, adding that Baloch youth were being pushed into unnecessary conflicts.
Bugti stressed that it was crucial to stop the recruitment of terrorists and cut their logistical lines. “Instability in Afghanistan provides militants with logistical support,” he said, calling it the national responsibility of politicians to counter anti-state rhetoric.
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“This is not just a military war; it is a struggle shared by the entire Pakistani nation,” he said. “Discrediting the security forces reinforces the enemy’s narrative. Some parties help the enemy by spreading anti-state propaganda.”
Referring to past conflicts, he noted: “On May 9-10, the Pakistani nation thwarted Indian designs. During the insurgency in two provinces, defaming state institutions is a dangerous act. Popularity is less important than upholding truth and justice.”
Bugti concluded: “Just as the story of Abu Jahl was popular in the time of the Prophet, but the truth was with him, today the nation must stand with its forces to defeat the propaganda of the enemy.”
