Balochistan cleansed of terrorists: Zehri

Claims that PML-N will sweep polls in the province in 2018

ISLAMABAD: Balochistan Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri has said the combined efforts of government and security forces have resulted in elimination of terrorists and their supporters from Balochistan and restoration of the government’s writ.

“The government has broken the backbone of terrorists and efforts are under way to cleanse Balochistan of the remaining insurgents and their facilitators,” he told a press conference at the Chief Minister House on Wednesday.

He said earlier the terrorists were in ascendance but now the government was in a dominating position. “Now they (terrorist groups) should leave Balochistan,” he said, adding that the government would not allow anyone to challenge the writ of the state.



Zehri said security agencies had arrested or killed the terrorist groups who were involved in civil hospital, police training college and Shah Noorani shrine suicide bombings.

“The mastermind of these bombings was arrested in Quetta. He has confessed to his involvement in these incidents,” he added.

To a question, he said the authorities were making all-out efforts for the recovery of abducted Chinese nationals. “I have suspended the DSP and two SHOs on charges of negligence in connection with the kidnapping of the Chinese,” he added.

Earlier Zehri welcomed the chieftain of Hasni tribe in the ruling party’s fold and claimed that Balochistan has become ‘a fort’ of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) which will sweep the next general elections in the province. He said it is a great day for the PML-N as the chief of Muhammad Hasni tribe had joined the party along with his entire tribe.



“I welcome Sardar Shahbaz Khan and Ali Haider Muhammad Hasni in the party. Their joining will make the PML-N stronger in Balochistan and in the next election Balochistan will emerge as a strong fort of Nawaz Sharif,” the CM said.

He said in the last election, the PML-N lost at least half a dozen seats of the Balochistan Assembly with the margin of just 300 votes. “We will win these seats in the next election with the support of Muhammad Hasni tribe,” he added.