ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said on Monday terrorist attacks had increased in the country, though he added the government was doing everything to counter the emerging threats of violence.
Last week, 10 Pakistani soldiers were killed after their check post was targeted by militants in Balochistan. The country also witnessed similar attacks against police personnel in other areas.
There was a bomb blast in a crowded market in Lahore about 10 days ago while a Christian priest was killed in Peshawar by unknown gunmen on Sunday.
“Terrorism has increased,” Ahmed said. “Groups like the United Baloch Army and Baloch Republican Army have joined hands to form a new entity that goes by the name of Baloch Nationalist Army. So, terrorism incidents have also risen in Balochistan.”
“If Balochistan Nationalist Army and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan increase terrorism, the whole nation and Pakistan’s armed forces will jointly respond to them,” he added.
Pakistan’s army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa emphasized “the need to stay united to thwart the designs of hostile forces,” said the military’s media wing, ISPR, during his visit to Lahore last week.
He also spent an entire day with soldiers in Balochistan more recently and visited the place where 10 Pakistani troops were killed near the border with Iran.
