Prime minister Nawaz Sharif addressing the media outside the Governor house in Quetta on Tuesday flanked by Balochistan chief minister. PHOTO: PID
Addressing a combined press conference after a day of meetings with the provincial government and law enforcing agencies in Quetta, the premier said that the acts of violence in the province were not acceptable anymore.
“This [attacks] is not acceptable for the provincial government, nor for the federal government.”
Nawaz said the governor, the chief minister, interior minister and heads of security forces including the intelligence services Inter-services intelligence and the intelligence bureau were present in their meetings.
“The administration here needs to bring improvement in their governance and the authorities in police need to realise their duty.”
Nawaz said that Quetta was a small city of around 20 lanes and that it should not be too hard to secure such a place.
Assuring the Balochistan chief minister Abdul Malik of all support from the federal government, including the best police officers in the country, Nawaz expressed his determination to combat terrorism.
“If we keep fighting them in such a determined manner, we will manage to end the terrorism.”
The prime minister said that he will keep visiting the province to keep an eye on progress made.
Prime Minister has also constituted a task force to maintain law and order in Balochistan.
Addressing a high level meeting in Quetta on Tuesday evening‚ he directed all the security agencies to ensure close coordination to curb terrorism.
Earlier in the day, prime minister Nawaz Sharif reached Quetta to discuss the security condition of the city in the aftermath of the attack on the Hazara community, Express News reported on Tuesday.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Abdul Qadir Baloch, Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Senator Mir Hasil Bizenjo accompanied the premiere on his one-day visit.
On reaching Quetta, Sharif was taken to the governor house, where he headed a high level meeting on the law and order situation.
The governor, chief minister Balochistan, Inspector General Police, IGFC and interior secretary were also present in the meeting.
The prime minister will also visit the injured of the recent Hazara Town blast getting treatment in Combined Military Hospital (CMH).
On Sunday, a suicide bomber detonated the explosives strapped to his body amid a crowd of people near an Imambargah in Hazara Town of Quetta shortly after Maghrib prayers.
At least 29 people, among them nine women and three children, were killed and 65 injured, nearly half of them critically.
A banned sectarian extremist group, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), which has carried out most attacks on the Hazara community, claimed credit for Sunday’s bombing in a phone call to media offices in Quetta.
COMMENTS (26)
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@Parvez: "Giving an order and having it implemented are two totally different things."
Proof of the pudding is definitely in the eating but it at least looks like pudding is on the menu. Making Dr. Baloch the CM and now a personal visit are both good signalling tactics. Also I may have misunderstood but I seem to recall that one of the AWSJ candidates was defeated by PML-N in the most recent elections. If that is true then are people who say that they are partners not somewhat outdated? Clearly there maybe wheels within wheels, so do set me right, if I got it wrong.
Mr. Prime Minister Good initiative ... BTW its quite well known that LEJ roots are in south punjab so it would be good if we start apprehending them from there as well
Good gesture by the Prime Minister for meeting the Hazara community leaders in Quetta. Some foreign agents and their local touts amongst us trying hard to create disharmony among different sects. I clearly see a foreign hand in the spate of violence being carried out specially in Balochistan when a nationalist-led government has been formed in our province after the elections.
The best intelligent agency in the whole world, (I mean ISI) was just waiting for the PM to order it to arrest the terrorists.
@MUSA: Prime Minister Raja Parvez Ashraf was in Quetta just n February this year. Please get your facts right.
@Kaleem: So it's a conspiracy theory that N league has struck a deal with the LeJ wherein they won't wreck havoc within the boundaries of Punjab in return that LeJ's networks in Punjab, their leaders and footsoldiers are left untouched? What else explains the lack of major bombings of Shias in Punjab from where that sectarian outfit LeJ hails, and which they are perfectly capable of carrying out? Oh yes, conspiracy theory.
Mr on take stern actions against culprits . we trust u
@MUSA: Visit to finally Pervez Ashraf ne be kia tha. We require #ActionAgainstLeJ
Actions speak louder than words. Mian Sahib's personal visit to Quetta proves his sincerely in restoring peace & stability in Balochistan. The combined visit of Prime Minister, Chief Minister and Interior Minister gives a very strong signal to the beuraucracy to mend its ways and incompetence will not be tolerated. The main reason behind lower crime rate in Punjab is that the Chief Minister-Shahbaz Sharif always rushes to the crime scene and gives his shoulder to support the victims. Dr Abdul Malik Baloch is now following the footsteps of Shabaz Sharif. Earlier, Nawaz Sharif had shown magnamity of heart by giving BNP the opportunity to form provincial government in Balochistan.
Giving an order and having it implemented are two totally different things.
@ Kaleem
Your arguments are logical and it is a fact that PMLN's Sheikh Skram has defeated LeJ's (supported by PTI) Ludhianvi. But hater propagandists will continue repeating the same tune without realising that factually they are wrong!
If he's serious about this then the first thing to do is sever his (and Rana Sanaullah's) own ties with the LeJ.
Good move Mr. Prime Minister. Visiting Quetta and personally meeting the Hazara community. Now please follow up on your words. People are expecting the excellent Shahbaz Shareef style encounter of these LeJ people. Lets not put them in VIP jails for a few months and let courts free them (as it has happened in the past).
While LeJ and their other counterparts regally reside in Punjab what good this trip is going to do. I mean its inhuman in Pakistan. These outfits practice the worst possible interpretation of Islam. At the same time a good part of the country reeks from their apologists and closet sympathizers, who can be seen on Facebook and sometime in the comments. This is an internal crisis in Islam in general and in Pakistan and Middle East in particular.
I am hoping on Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan's part this is just their political opportunism and cowardice but not a soft corner or religious affinity towards these murderers.
GOOD ORDER MIAN SAHIB,lets hope they come up with real culprits,mian sahib daily check their progress otherwise your attention will diverted somewhere else/other direction.
Real problem is the snakes up in the sleeves not LeJ,This could be some big sarder,people within intelligence ignoring the real culprit due some kind of compromise,any one of department of the police or IB or FC."Seldom police is killed when attack on shia carried this means all well coordinated",so thing going on some compromise within.
Instead, he should work on getting all the suspected groups arrested.
Addressing law and order situation of Quetta means that the Prime Minister and his government is standing with the Hazara Community.
Every Pakistani is still feeling the pain of Hazara Community who have been subject to brutal killings by the terrorists.
I thought your incompetent interior minister would be announcing the arrests of the perpetrators, and their prosecution. But may be for doing that you need to fire their top most patrons and benefactors, rana sanaullah as well as your own brother. I doubt you have such conviction. Till then let the innocents fall, and keep up with this charade.
First Prime Minister in atleast last 6 years to visit Quetta! good move. now I hope he follows it up with action & catches the culprits!
Mr Prime Minister, it was nice to see you visiting Quetta and all the personal security arrangements that was there to protect you and secure your life (you'd agree that afyter all our State is capable and can ensure safety and security to some, who it considers worthy of continuity!). It'd be equally nice, perhaps even more, if you could realize all the security we the ordinary citizens need and also provide us that, if nothing else on the 'humanitarian grounds'. I'm sure that you are aware of the basic responsibility of a government, and yours by extension, which is to provide safety and security to life and properties of all its citizens within its jurisdiction.
By the way, if you were seriously interested in the life threatening issues here, you really, honestly did NOT need even travelling 10 KM from Lahore. LeJ is domiciled right around the corner there, ask your dear brother and his closest confidante Rana Sanaullah for LeJ leaders and their addresses. This banned sectarian extremist group, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), responsible for the most recent as well as in past attacks on the Hazara community, has very proudly claimed credit for causing all such havocs to our lives and property here in Quetta.
It is an excellent step, especially when we compare it against PPP premiers. Lets hope NS is deeply touched by Hazara community miseries and do something soon to eliminiate LeJ. Btw, the talks of PMLN backing LeJ should have been vanished after sheikh akram's win against Ludhianvi, but we are living in pakistan, where controversy theories have utmost importance.
This is like rubbing salt into the wounds of Hazara community which has been mercilessly killed since time immemorial by a Punjab based terrorist outfit and an ally of PM's party, LeJ
Nawaz Sharif can stop this genocide by arresting and punishing the LeJ leaders in Punjab. He is all talk and no action.
Routine visit. If PM is serious should get hold of LeJ leadership and eliminate this terror outfit. But Mr PM will never do it as PML (N) smooth working and safe existence (at least in Punjab limits) has been assured by this outfit. When the day will come when country will get a true and loyal leader. Currently no hopes.