ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said Friday that only full implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) can help the country overcome terrorism.
Speaking in the National Assembly during a debate on recent violence in Balochistan, Chaudhry acknowledged that around 2,000 people remain missing across Pakistan. He stressed that the government was ready to engage with Balochistan’s political leadership to resolve the issue but accused some opposition parties of “exploiting protests for political publicity.
For nearly a week, families from Balochistan have staged demonstrations outside the Islamabad Press Club, demanding information about missing relatives. Chaudhry said the government had provided the demonstrators with full security despite court orders restricting protests in the capital’s Red Zone. He added that rights activists, including Amina Janjua, had joined the sit-in, underscoring the issue’s sensitivity.
“We want to resolve this through dialogue, but some groups are using the protest for political gain,” Chaudhry said. He pointed to Jamaat-e-Islami’s recent long march from Balochistan, which the government addressed through negotiations, as an example of its willingness to talk.
The minister also defended the denial of security clearance for a political rally at Quetta’s Hockey Stadium, saying mass gatherings remained soft targets for militant attacks. He noted that after the deadly bombing at a Balochistan National Party (BNP) rally in Quetta last month, all political parties except PTI attended an in-camera briefing on security.
Chaudhry insisted that terrorism could only be defeated if all parties remained united behind security forces. “The more we implement the National Action Plan, the more terrorism will decline,” he said.
Lawmakers from across the aisle highlighted Balochistan’s crisis during the session. JUI-F’s Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri demanded an all-parties conference on the province and urged the interior minister to form a special committee to negotiate directly with the families of missing persons. PML-N’s Jamal Shah Kakar warned that while natural disasters hit the rest of Pakistan, Balochistan was suffering “man-made disasters” caused by terrorism and political neglect.
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Several legislators, including MNA Poline, pressed the government to engage protesters in Islamabad whose relatives remain missing. JUI-F’s Usman Baledi criticized PTI for boycotting debates, saying the people of Balochistan need trust, compassion, and genuine dialogue from the country’s leadership.
