PESHAWAR   -   The recent tragic events in Balochistan province, which resulted in the brutal killing of over 50 civilians and security forces personnel besides damage to infrastructure, have exposed the barbaric mindset of terrorists and underscored the need for taking decisive action against terrorism.

Syed Akhtar Ali Shah, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) KP, while talking to APP, strongly emphasised that these horrific attacks in Balochistan have validated the government’s decision to initiate an anti-terrorism operation ie Azm-e-Istehkam to purge the country from remnant of terrorism.

“The brutal killings of civilians and security forces personnel highlighted that the Azm-e-Istehkam Operation is extremely necessary and in the country’s vital interests,” he said.

Condemning the attacks, he said that it was a grim reminder of the terrorists’ barbaric intentions and nefarious goals, adding anti-Pakistan’s forces and rival intelligence agencies were likely to be behind of these terror attacks in a bid to create law and order situation in Balochistan to disrupt progress on CPEC and create hurdles in Pak-China relationship.

Expressing solidarity with the victims’ families, Akhtar asserted that the Balochistan tragedy has also disproved the arguments against operation Azm-e-Istekham. He called for national unity and extended full support to our valiant security forces imperative to combat terrorism and establish lasting peace in the country.

“People should keep close vigil on their surroundings and immediately inform police after seeing suspected movement or presence of unwanted elements,” he said, adding the war against terrorism could be speedily won when people of all walks of life forward hands of cooperation to the Govt and law enforcement agencies.

Dr A H Hilali, former Chairman of the Political Science Department at the University of Peshawar, termed the Balochistan’s attacks are highly deplorable and showed disregards of the terrorists for humanity.

He said Pakistan has borne significant human and economic losses in fight against terrorism and pointed out towards instability in the region following the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and the subsequent rise of terrorism incidents in Pakistan, which exacerbated the security challenges especially in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to its long porous border with war-torn Afghanistan.

He said Pakistan has been facing scourge of terrorism for last more than 23 years in which people of all walks of life had given sacrifices in terms of human and material losses, adding former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto Shaheed, Governor Punjab Salman Taseer, Senior Minister KP Bashir Bilour, Senator Hidatullah Khan, CCPO Malik Saad and thousands others laid down lives for Pakistan.

While referring to Pakistan’s sacrifices and economic losses during 2001-2022, he said over 83000 Pakistanis were martyred and more than 35 trillion rupees economic losses incurred during war against terrorism.

He said that Paigham-e-Pakistan’s consensus decree (fatwa) 2018 signed by over 1800 religious scholars of all schools of thoughts and endorsed by Imam-i-Kaaba and Al-Azhar University of Cairo, have declared terrorism in all forms and manifestation were forbidden in Islam.

“No person can feel the pain of Balochistan’s carnage victims better than me. It hurts me the most,” said Sharif Gul, the father of slain Hasnain Sharif who was brutally killed in Army Public School Peshawar’s attack on December 16, 2014. “The Balochistan’s terrorist’s incidents reminded me of the barbaric mindset of terrorists who deprived me of a loving son with a great desire to become a doctor and served the ailing humanity,” he said, adding that through such attacks our resolve could not be shaken.

Dr Hilali maintained that the 2014 attacks on the Army Public School in Peshawar had united the Pakistani nation against terrorism besides leading to the implementation of a national action plan launched by PMLN Govt and launching of operations like Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasaad that broke back of terrorists.

As a result of these successful operations and national action plan, peace was established in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

Despite remarkable successes in the fight against terrorism, he said the recent sporadic attacks, particularly targeting law enforcement in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has highlighted the need for a renewed and robust counter-terrorism strategy to purge KP and Balochistan from remnants of terrorism.

Strongly condemning the nefarious attempts of anti-Pakistan forces and foe agencies to disrupt peace and CPEC projects in Balochistan besides creating hurdles in Pak-China time tested relations, he affirmed that our valiant security forces are well prepared to counter these negative efforts with full might with the strong support of the nation.

The experts called for the arrest and stringent punishment of those responsible for the Balochistan carnage, emphasizing that the fight against terrorism is ongoing on that can be won with strong determination and national unity.