Pakistan to launch comprehensive operation against militants in Balochistan

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Pakistan decided to launch a comprehensive operation against militants in the southwestern province of Balochistan after a series of deadly attacks. “The participants of the Federal Apex Committee of the National Action Plan on Tuesday (November 19, 2024) approved a comprehensive military operation,” said a statement.

The target of the blitz would be the leading terrorist organisations operating in Balochistan including the Majeed Brigade, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), and Balochistan Raaji Anjou-R-Sanger (BRAS) who targeted innocent civilians and foreign nationals to scuttle Pakistan’s economic progress by creating insecurity at the behest of hostile external powers.

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It was decided during a meeting headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and attended by senior civil and military officials, including Army Chief General Asim Munir.

The participants of the meeting, which focussed on “Reinvigorating Pakistan’s Counter Terrorism (CT) Campaign”, were briefed on the evolving security landscape and the measures taken to counter terrorism and other critical challenges, including general law and order situation, actions against efforts to stoke sub-nationalism, religious extremism, tackling the illegal spectrum and crime-terror nexus, sub-version and disinformation campaigns, among other issues.

The committee highlighted the necessity of a unified political voice and a cohesive national narrative to effectively address these multifaceted challenges.

It was emphasised that political support across party lines and complete national consensus were critical to reinvigorating the national counterterrorism campaign under the framework of vision “Azm-e-Istehkam” and agreed upon revitalisation of the National Counterterrorism Agency (NACTA) and the establishment of National and Provincial Intelligence Fusion and Threat Assessment Centre.

A whole-of-system approach was adopted, incorporating diplomatic, political, informational, intelligence, socio-economic, and military efforts to address these issues comprehensively.

Specific emphasis was placed on strengthening collaboration between federal and provincial governments and between relevant institutions and ministries to ensure seamless execution of the counter-terrorism campaign.

It was decided during the meeting to establish district coordination committees under the Provincial Apex Committees to ensure the implementation of directions received from federal and provincial governments. The forum demonstrated political resolve to dismantle the ecosystem of illegal spectrum and crime-terror nexus.

At the conclusion, the Prime Minister directed all stakeholders to pursue the outlined initiatives with vigour, ensuring their timely implementation. He underscored the importance of sustained, coordinated efforts to protect Pakistan’s sovereignty, ensure the safety of its citizens, and reinforce economic and social stability.

The COAS reiterated the Pakistan Army’s unwavering resolve to eliminate all threats to national security and provide robust support to the government’s initiatives aimed at ensuring peace and stability.