Daily Times

Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has said that the government is taking all possible steps to ensure peace in Balochistan.

Talking to Inspector General Frontier Corps North, Major General Muhammad Yousuf Majoka in Quetta on Sunday, the interior minister appreciated the role of FC Balochistan in maintaining law and order in the province.

The interior minister was given a detailed briefing on operational readiness, border surveillance and law and order in Balochistan.

He said implementation of all points of the National Action Plan (NAP) will be ensured and inter-provincial coordination will be strengthened to improve law and order.

Rashid said that the government is taking steps to ensure internal security and would not allow enemies of the country to succeed in their nefarious designs.

He said that Gwadar would be the future economic hub of Pakistan and that is why the enemy wants to destabilise Balochistan but all such designs would be foiled by the security forces with the cooperation of the people. “Terrorists who want to destabilise Balochistan would not have a place to hide,” he warned.

The interior minister also laid a floral wreath at the Martyrs’ Memorial.

Earlier, the interior minister, who is on a four-day visit to Balochistan, said that the government is boosting security arrangements by erecting fences along the borders with Afghanistan and Iran. He said this during a visit to the Pak-Iran border where he took an aerial view of Mand and Redeeg and visited the newly-opened trade gateway with Iran at Raimdan/Gabad.

Inspector General of Frontier Corps, South, Maj Gen Bilal Safdar and Deputy Commissioner of Turbat Ilyas Badini accompanied the interior minister during the visit.

The officials at a briefing told the minister that 40 percent fencing work at the Iran border had been completed and the 928km fence would be completed by June this year.

Similarly, he was told that 90pc fencing work had been completed at the Afghan border and the remaining work would be completed in four months.

The interior minister said that Pakistan and Iran enjoy cordial relations, which would be further strengthened with the passage of time as Pakistan gave importance to its relations with Iran.

He said that Pakistan is developing its border management system on modern lines to provide maximum legal crossing and trade facilities at the borders with Iran and Afghanistan. The minister vowed to facilitate cross-border trade and said that resources were being utilised to boost internal security of the country.