QUETTA: The Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti has ruled out negotiations with militants involved in violence in the province, saying the government will continue its fight against terrorism until the threat is eliminated.
Bugti said the authorities would not engage in talks with groups or individuals who had taken up arms against the state or advocated the disintegration of Pakistan.
In this regard, Bugti said the fight against terrorism would continue until the last terrorist was eliminated from Balochistan.
He described the situation as a state of war and said security forces were carrying out their duties under extremely difficult circumstances.
The chief minister also stressed that state institutions were working in coordination to counter militant threats. He acknowledged that the government had never claimed that conditions across the province were completely normal.
Bugti said the time had come for what he described as “major surgery” to eliminate terrorism, signalling that authorities intend to maintain pressure on militant networks.
Balochistan has faced a long-running separatist insurgency, with armed groups carrying out attacks against security personnel, civilians and development-related projects.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States, has claimed responsibility for a number of attacks in the region.
The escalation has increased pressure on provincial and federal authorities to strengthen security measures.
Pakistan’s government maintains that security operations have significantly weakened militant networks, although attacks continue to pose a security challenge.
Calls for Dialogue Remain Divisive
Federal and provincial authorities have largely rejected negotiations with armed groups, while maintaining that militants who voluntarily surrender and abandon violence may be considered for leniency.
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Some former militants and associates of BLA-linked networks have surrendered their weapons at official ceremonies in recent years, where local authorities welcomed their return to civilian life.
