NSC slams Bajaur incursion, grisly Quetta incident

Sees them as work of hostile agencies; takes stock of unfolding events in Gulf

ISLAMABAD: Condemning the recent attacks on the Pakistan Army check post in Bajaur Agency and on police officials in Quetta, Pakistan’s civil and military leadership has expressed deep concern over the ‘now increasingly exposed’ activities of hostile intelligence agencies to destabilise Pakistan.

This expression of condemnation and concern came on Wednesday after a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) chaired by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. Foreign and interior ministers, chairman joint chiefs of staff committee, three services chiefs, foreign secretary and other senior civil and military officials attended the conclave.

The meeting took place as reports surfaced regarding grisly discovery of 15 bullet-riddled bodies of people mostly hailing from Punjab in the Turbat area of Balochistan.

Sources said the meeting also took stock of the incident and vowed to foil the activities of hostile agencies through effective intelligence and counterterrorism measures. However, the statement, issued by the PM Office after the NSC meeting, did not make a mention of the tragedy.



It said the NSC condemned the recent attacks on the Pakistan Army check post in Bajaur Agency and on police officials in Quetta and expressed “deep concern over the now increasingly exposed activities of hostile intelligence agencies to destabilise Pakistan.”

The committee reviewed the security situation in Balochistan and appreciated the ‘significant improvement’ brought through the ‘tireless work’ by the armed forces and law enforcement agencies.

The NSC affirmed that the thrust of federal government policy shall be to collaborate more deeply with the government of Balochistan for the rapid socioeconomic development of the province.

“The meeting also developed a consensus on providing increased development resources to the province and adopting a cooperative implementation mechanism for development projects to ensure greater efficiency and transparency so that the benefits of increased development funding flow directly to the Baloch people at the very grassroots level,”  the statement said.

A day earlier, the PM during his visit to Quetta also announced a two-year ‘equalisation’ development package for Balochistan to bring the province on a par with other areas of the country.

The NSC was also apprised that concrete measures were being undertaken to improve border management to deny movement of miscreants and criminals into Balochistan.

It was also informed that the federal government was following a policy of allocating its best civil servants to Balochistan to improve the administrative efficiency in the province.



Crisis in Middle East

According to the statement, the foreign secretary briefed the meeting on the latest developments in the regional security situation with a focus on the events rapidly unfolding in the Middle East.

“After a detailed discussion, the meeting unanimously agreed that it was of critical importance for Pakistan to play a proactive role in the best interest of the Muslim Ummah, while firmly adhering to its bilateral commitments,” it said.

The meeting also reviewed the progress made with respect to Pakistan’s commitment under the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) framework. It observed that Pakistan needed to convey its position and achievements comprehensively and clearly to the FATF.

It also reviewed status of regional gas and oil pipelines projects under consideration from the perspective of strengthening Pakistan’s energy security, and it was agreed that Pakistan should take advantage of the opportunities available where they are in its best economic and national interest.