QUETTA: Provincial Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Lango has alleged that the Taliban are supporting Baloch terrorist organizations while India is providing financial backing to militants, with Afghan territory being actively used to destabilize Pakistan.
In an exclusive interaction with foreign media, the Home Minister said that multiple factors are contributing to the wave of terrorism in Balochistan, including the province’s long porous borders with Afghanistan and Iran, which allow easy movement of militants.
“Pakistan’s position regarding terrorism is very clear. The Taliban are supporting Baloch terrorist organizations, and India is funding terrorists. The land of Afghanistan is being used against us,” Lango stated.
He revealed that Pakistan has repeatedly requested Afghanistan at various national and international forums to refrain from conspiring against Pakistani soil. “Afghanistan is our Islamic country. We have cultural ties with you. Do not conspire against our land,” he said, reiterating Islamabad’s appeal to Kabul.
Referring to India, Lango called it Pakistan’s “eternal enemy” that does not let any opportunity pass to harm the country’s interests. He demanded that the government bring those responsible for the Sancha Orak and Ziarat incidents to justice.
The Home Minister disclosed that for some time, Taliban elements have been arriving in Shaban and other border areas, threatening local tribal populations to vacate their lands. “They tell them to leave so that they can settle here and carry out terrorism in Quetta and other areas,” he said, adding that terrorists have harassed and even killed some locals.
He said the provincial government had wasted no time in taking action, and security forces were dispatched to review the situation. Following the tragic incidents in Ziarat and Hanna Orak, the provincial government has remained in constant contact with the affected families.
“Families have been assured that the government will protect them, avenge the martyrs, and take care of their children,” Lango said, adding that he and the Chief Minister personally visited Ziarat, attended funerals, and listened to the grievances of local people and relatives.
He acknowledged complaints about officer shortcomings and revealed that the government had not only suspended senior officers but also formed a high-level inquiry committee to investigate the matter.
On the Ziarat sit-in, Lango said it is the democratic right of political parties and relatives to protest. “They have been wronged. We are constantly in touch with them. Their problems are being reviewed and considered. The martyrs are ours. We stand with them. We will not hide anything,” he asserted.
He confirmed that agreement had been reached on forming a judicial commission, and orders for compensation to the martyrs had been issued. “We will go to all lengths against this atrocity, investigate it, and bring those responsible to justice,” Lango vowed.
The Home Minister clarified that while protest is permissible, “do not do politics on dead bodies.” He praised security forces for their ongoing operations against terrorists, revealing that approximately 126 terrorists had been eliminated, while one security personnel was martyred and eight others injured.
Turning to the Afghan refugee issue, Lango stressed the need for all political parties to unite and remove Afghan refugees from Pakistan. “We are neighboring countries. We cannot get out of the loss. All political parties need to come together and remove the Afghan refugees from here. Such measures are indispensable for the safety of people’s lives and property,” he said.
He lamented that Pakistan has hosted Afghan refugees for 40 years, but the Afghan state government is neither taking care of its refugees nor looking after Pakistan’s concerns
