Daily Times

Caretaker Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai has claimed that those who were being labelled by Baloch protesters as “missing persons” were in fact “terrorists” and killed in Pakistan’s recent strike inside Iran.

Pakistan on Thursday launched strikes on terrorists’ hideouts inside Iran, in a retaliatory attack two days after Tehran violated the country’s sovereignty by launching a strike in Balochistan that left two children dead and injured three girls. In a statement, the Pakistan Army had said the hideouts used by terrorist militant organisations, namely Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), were successfully struck in an intelligence-based operation, code named – “Marg Bar Sarmachar”.

Addressing a press conference in Quetta, Achakzai rebuked the demonstrators holding a sit-in protest against enforced disappearances in Islamabad. “Those who were being labelled as missing persons were terrorists [and] killed in Iran,” he claimed while referring to Pakistan’s strikes inside Iran. He alleged that Mahrang Baloch, who is leading the protest, has been staging “drama” and defaming Pakistan under the guise of missing persons issue. The provincial information minister said Baloch protesters were staging the sit-in in Islamabad for ulterior motives. “They could disturb the law and order situation. In such a situation, it becomes impossible to stop a terror incident. Those wearing masks in the sit-in can be terrorists of banned outfits,” he added.

He said the hostile intelligence agencies could target the protestors’ camp to blame Pakistan. It is not a judicial matter, the ongoing protest camp in Islamabad should be dealt with by the city administration, he said. Citing the Iranian claim that it targeted Jaish ul Adl in Pakistan, Achakzai said no such organisation existed in Pakistan.