Zarb-e-Azb comes to urban Balochistan, Sindh

LEAs to start fresh targeted operations in Sindh, Balochistan from today after foreign links found

• COAS expresses concern over lack of ‘political will’ to claim ownership of operation against terrorists
• Home minister vows indiscriminate action against terrorists in Balochistan, says enemy planning new attacks after CPEC announcement

In the wake of recent threats by top Indian ministers, the provincial governments of Balochistan and Sindh have decided to conduct fresh intelligence-based targeted operations from Thursday (today) and strategies are being discussed in this regard,Pakistan Today has learnt.

A source in the federal government told this scribe that the decision was taken at a high-level meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, held on Wednesday to review the implementation status on National Action Plan (NAP).

“The meeting was briefed by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General (DG) Lt General Rizwan Akhtar about the recent rise in terrorist activities in Balochistan and Sindh. The meeting was informed that the violence targeting Hazara Shias in Balochistan and the incidents in Karachi against law enforcers had some foreign links,” the source said, adding that the information gathered from terrorists arrested for their involvement in blasts which rocked railway tracks in Hyderabad and other areas in interior Sindh, also provided some new links to the LEAs.

The source said that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif shared his concerns about the lack of “political will” to claim the ownership of operation against terrorists.

Moreover, the meeting also shared the concerns over the new wave of blasts in interior Sindh, which suggest that a “new rebel movement” is also being planned in interior Sindh.

“The army chief expressed his concern that despite a lapse of around four months, the political leadership was reluctant in taking Operation Zarb-e-Azb to the urban centres. This very reluctance could cost the country heavily and the achievements made by the armed forces during Operation Zarb-e-Azb in Waziristan may go wasted if terrorists who have been able to escape the operation and seek refuge in the cities are not tracked down in time,” the source added.

The source quoted the army chief as urging the political leadership to take responsibility and launch immediate action before the terrorists could hit.

Following the meeting, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif held a meeting with Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik. The meeting was also attended by half a dozen cabinet members from the Balochistan government.

During the meeting, the prime minister briefed Balochistan CM on the nature of new threats, urging him to carryout indiscriminate but targeted intelligence-based operations across the province.

OPERATION AGAINST BALOCH REBELS:

When contacted, Balochistan Home Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti confirmed the launching of a fresh operation against terrorists, irrespective of them being Baloch rebels or people with religious leanings.

“I am rushing back to Quetta to chair an emergent meeting to launch a fresh operation. It would be an intelligence-based targeted operation against miscreants without any discrimination and I myself would lead it as a son of brave Baloch nation,” Sarfraz Bugti said.

Asked if the operation was being launched only against terrorists of banned religious outfits or if the banned nationalist groups would also be targeted, Bugti said it would be an “indiscriminate operation” and action would be taken against terrorists, indifferent to their religious or ethnic background.

Asked about the possible involvement of Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in recent wave of terrorism that has hit Balochistan, Bugti said that the enemy was planning new attacks after the announcement of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

“Enemy knows that if CPEC is successful, the people of Balochistan would achieve self-reliance and no one would fool them in the name of their rights. So a new vicious campaign is being planned but we will get the enemy from its throat,” vowed the Balochistan home minister.

Likewise, Sindh Rangers DGhas been directed to take action against terrorists involved in attacks on police officials in Karachi. Moreover, the Sindh chief minister has also directed the law enforcement agencies to conduct indiscriminate targeted operations against the terrorists in interior Sindh.