Quetta: Speaking during a podcast interview with Buraq Digital, Ali Madad Jatak, a provincial minister from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), strongly condemned the recent attack on their unity march in Balochistan.
He stated that a convoy of 600 to 700 vehicles, waving Pakistan’s national flag and chanting patriotic slogans, was attacked by what he called the “cowardly enemies of Fitna-e-Hindustan.”
He confirmed that several participants were martyred and many others injured in the incident.
Jatak declared that such acts of violence are not a sign of bravery but of fear, and those responsible must know that the PPP and the people of Balochistan will not be intimidated.
He emphasized that the PPP has a long history of sacrifices, from its leadership to thousands of workers who laid down their lives for democracy and the rights of ordinary citizens.
He criticized separatist elements, saying that whenever progress begins in Balochistan, whether in the form of education or job opportunities, certain groups attempt to push the province back into instability and underdevelopment.
He questioned the narrative of ethnic targeting, stating that from Lak Pass to Taftan and Karachi, most businesses belong to Baloch and Pashtun people, not Punjabis.
He recalled that even during Nauroze Khan’s insurgency, Punjabi businessmen were never targeted based on ID cards.
Referring to another tragic incident in Kalat, he mentioned that the victims were singers and artists, people who entertained the public and supported their families.
“What kind of Baloch identity is this that kills innocent artists?” he asked, labeling the attackers as traitors and enemies of the state who do not represent any nation or region.
Jatak warned that the state has shown immense restraint, but such leniency should not be mistaken for weakness. In many countries—including Europe, the US, and Saudi Arabia—open rebellion against the state is dealt with swiftly and harshly.
He claimed that the state has now begun to act and some enemies have already been eliminated, asserting that the state is fully capable of dealing with a few hundred or thousand individuals.
He ridiculed certain tribal leaders, saying one showed up at Lak Pass claiming to wear a burial shroud in defiance, yet left with tents and supplies.
Jatak also condemned the use of women in suicide attacks, calling it unprecedented in Baloch history, and pointed out the hypocrisy of separatist leaders who send others’ children to die while their own children live luxurious lives abroad, studying at elite institutions and traveling in lavish cars.
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He concluded by highlighting that Balochistan is already decades behind in development, and the targeted killings of professors, teachers, and intellectuals have only added to the region’s suffering.
