The armed forces have vowed to prevent the country’s peace being compromised by externally-sponsored terrorism, the military’s media wing said on Thursday.
At least six people, including three students, were martyred while over 40 others – mostly students – were injured on Wednesday after a bomb targeted a school bus near Zero Point in Khuzdar on the Quetta-Karachi highway when it was on its way to drop the students at the Army Public School in Khuzdar Cantonment.
On Thursday, an eighth-grade student, Sahar Saleem, who was critically injured in the attack, succumbed to her wounds.
According to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the vow was made during the 270th Corps Commander Conference (CCC) at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, chaired by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir.
“A comprehensive review of the prevailing internal and external security environment was undertaken, with particular emphasis on the successful conclusion of Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, a decisive chapter of Marka-i-Haq,” the statement read.
It was observed that “following its military failure in the wake of the Pahalgam incident, India so-called and self-claimed victim of terrorism, but actually a perpetrator of terrorism and the epicentre of regional instability, has upscaled the use of covert means, employing non-state actors to pursue its destabilisation agenda,” the ISPR said.
“The forum resolved that Pakistan will never allow its peace to be compromised by externally-sponsored terrorism. The Armed Forces, in close synergy with intelligence and law enforcement agencies, will pursue all proxies and facilitators of terrorism with unrelenting resolve.
“These hostile elements, trained and financed to incite chaos and fear, will be dismantled and decimated with the full force of national will and institutional strength.”
It further said that the nation will take “all measures necessary to safeguard its vital interests”.
The conference also deliberated on the regional environment in India-occupied Kashmir and along the working boundary with India, expressing “deep concern” over human rights violations committed by Indian forces against Kashmiris. The forum also congratulated COAS Munir on his promotion to the rank of field marshal.
“[The] forum underscored the urgent need for international attention and intervention to prevent further deterioration of peace and security in South Asia,” the statement read. “[The] forum reiterated full diplomatic, political, moral and humanitarian support for Kashmiri brothers and sisters and their just resistance for [the] right of self-determination.”
Additionally, the meeting paid tribute to the martyrs of Marka-i-Haq and reaffirmed that the “sacred blood of the shuhuda (martyrs)” would not go in vain, while also recognising the spirit and dynamic contributions of the youth and Pakistan’s “media and information warriors” for their role during the brief conflict.
Separately, the Senate on Thursday strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Khuzdar, labeling the targeting of schoolchildren as inhumane and called for a stronger defense against external threats and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to safeguarding its citizens.
The motion to suspend the normal business and discuss the Khuzdar attack was presented by Senator Agha Shahzaib Durrani.
During the debate, senators accused India of supporting the perpetrators and emphasized the importance of national unity in the fight against terrorism.
Initiating the debate, former Caretaker Prime Minister Senator Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar condemned the growing influence of Hindutva ideology in India, which he described as a threat to minorities and regional stability.
He warned of the ideological spread of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) within Indian state institutions and cited the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as a case of state-sponsored terrorism. Kakar criticized India’s secularism as a façade, citing coercive laws targeting minorities, and denounced the Pulwama attack as a false flag operation.