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- Provincial information minister says the government will pursue the masterminds behind recent militant attacks
- Jan Achakzai assures of security measures that will help ‘systematically stamp out terrorism’ for the country
ISLAMABAD: A top interim administration official of Balochistan said on Sunday the government had decided to declare an “all-out war” against militant groups targeting the country, adding it would not just take on radical operatives but also pursue the masterminds behind the attacks in different parts of Pakistan.
Jan Achakzai, the provincial information minister, made the announcement at a news conference in Quetta after a suicide bomber targeted a gathering to celebrate the birth anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in Mastung district on Friday, killing about 60 people and injuring many more.
Residents assisting in the transfer of injured individuals to an ambulance following an explosion in Mastung town, in Pakistan's Balochistan province, on September 29, 2023. (Photo courtesy: Al Khidmat Foundation)
Asked about a possible operation against extremist factions in the wake of the tragic incident, he told the media that the government would defend every corner of the country and carry out intelligence-based operations wherever required.
Achakzai maintained militant violence could be seen across Pakistan, saying there was a pattern to it which was not visible in other regional states.
“This implies that there is a mastermind behind all this who is methodically trying to destabilize us,” he said. “Enough is enough. There will be no appeasement and we will not offer any concessions. We will not consider anything at all. We declare all-out war on these terrorists.”
People being treated in a hospital after getting wounded in an explosion during a procession in Mastung town of Pakistan's Balochistan province on September 29, 2023. (Photo courtesy: Edhi Foundation)
Pakistan’s caretaker information minister Sarfaraz Bugti named India’s premier spy agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), after the Mastung attack, though he did not share evidence to substantiate his claim.
Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir also made a similar assertion, calling the people behind the attack on the religious procession as “proxies” of the enemies of the state and its people.
Achakzai told the news conference the attack in Mastung could not have taken place without the facilitators and militant sanctuaries abroad, pointing out that these armed groups were not surviving without their “links.”
“We will take security measures to systematically stamp out terrorism,” he continued.
The minister maintained there was complete clarity on the issue within the government, as he tried to highlight the state’s resolve to deal with the security challenge.
“We will pursue the masterminds and those managing these proxies,” he added.
Achakzai also indicated the government would offer financial compensation to the families that had lost their loved ones in the Mastung attack.