Daily Times

QUETTA: More than 300 members of different banned outfits, including 17 commanders, surrendered their arms during an event at the Balochistan Assembly on Saturday.

The event was attended by Balochistan Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri, Southern Command Commander Lieutenant General Asim Saleem Bajwa and Balochistan Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti among other civil and military leaders. The militants, who gave up their weapons, were allegedly involved in subversive activities for more than a decade in various parts of Balochistan, said security officials who declined to be named. “Some elements were threatening us not to surrender,” Dur Muhammad, a former militant from Naseerabad said. Another militant commander from Harnai also shared the same information. The miscreants came one-by-one at the stage, and handed over their weapons.

They were given Pakistani flags and flowers in return. Waving Pakistani flags during the ceremony, they said that they were misled by some elements to serve their personal agendas. Chief Minister Zehri said peace and reconciliation process would continue despite all odds. “We welcome you all,” he told the crowd. Zehri said the country had a “big heart” to accept those whose hands were tainted with the blood of innocent people. “Now it is your turn to struggle for stability and development of the country,” he said. The Balochistan reconciliation process was launched by former chief minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch a few years ago.

Published in Daily Times, December 10^th 2017.