Daily Times

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday said that the recent spate of terrorist attacks in Balochistan was “planned to ruin” a Pakistan-hosted summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) scheduled for October.

Islamabad is set to host the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting from October 15-16 under its rotating chairmanship.

Islamabad has also sent an invite to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi despite long-standing tensions over occupied Kashmir and allegations of terrorism.

Addressing the Senate, Naqvi said: “We have identified clear links showing that they [terrorists] planned to ruin the SCO conference.

“A lot of people are in anguish [about SCO meeting] so that it should not be organised,” he said, adding that the attacks were a conspiracy against the summit.

The interior minister noted that the Balochistan attacks were devised by not just one body but “terrorist organisations had carried them out together”.

“The incident on the night of August 26 was not a normal one. There was complete planning behind it,” the independent senator emphasised.

“There is no [military] operation being carried out,” the interior minister clarified, responding to another senator’s statements.

Naqvi recalled that during his Thursday visit, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had “very detailed” discussions with the local political stakeholders, in which various decisions were taken after considering their feedback.

“Those who acknowledge Pakistan, we will highly welcome them. They are very respectable for us, though there can be differences [with us], which we are trying our best to address and will do so.

“Those who do not accept the state and take up arms are terrorists and we will deal with them,” Naqvi vowed.

He stressed the need for “clarity and unity” against those who opposed the state.

Naqvi also informed the Senate that Rs8 billion have been allocated for Balochistan – Rs1bn for each of the eight divisions – while another Rs5bn for the province’s Counterterrorism Department (CTD).

Those Rs8bn would be used to “solve minor issues with the support of the local MNAs and MPAs”, the senator explained.

“The biggest issue [in Balochistan] is the shortage of government officers, who are the federal government representatives,” the minister said.

Referring to the deputation of the 48th Common Group in Balochistan, the minister said 30-40 officers would head to the province within 10-15 days.