Jam Kamal slams terrorists for targeting children

Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal has condemned the terrorist attack targeting children and a Chinese official on Friday in Balochistan’s Gwadar district.

Speaking to the media on Saturday during his visit to Gwadar, the provincial chief executive said that martyring children depicted the mental inferiority of terrorists. “We share the grief of the deceased children’s parents,” he said.

Jam Kamal highlighted that terrorist attacks have not hampered the development process in the largest province of the country.

“The enemies are not political-minded people but they are the ones who pay money to others for conducting attacks. It has been a part of Balochistan politics that many elements are taking advantage of the resentments in the past,” he said.

The chief minister said they will allay the government’s concerns by speaking to the disgruntled Baloch leaders hiding abroad and discuss with them the issue of ‘backwardness’ which Balochistan suffers from.

Terming the Gwadar blast of significant nature, Jam Kamal said Gwadar is a very strategic area in terms of investment with which the future of the people of the province is linked.

“The government takes every incident seriously,” he said.

“We will take coordinated steps to rectify these incidents.”

CM Kamal further said those people involved in the Gwadar blast are those who do not want to see Balochistan develop peacefully.

The government has always tried to overcome all obstacles in the development of Pakistan and especially Balochistan so that the people can live a normal and better life.

“Our aim is to give business opportunities and eradicate deprivation and poverty from the province. All this will be only possible when there is an environment in Balochistan that is conducive to development and prosperity,” Jam Kamal said.

The chief minister added that the interests of the enemies of Balochistan are linked to anti-national elements. “They carry out all these attacks at the behest of some people. But we have assured the people and political representatives of Gwadar that the government and the law enforcement agencies will fulfill their duty.”

He further said that the incidents of terrorism have not stopped the process of development and nothing will slow down the pace of work. “Work will continue on its regular pace immediately after the investigation is over.”

CM Kamal also said the Gwadar blast was a continuation of the attacks conducted by the same terrorists and part of their last efforts. “They know that their end is near.”

The chief minister shed light on how agents of other countries including India have been arrested in Balochistan for fermenting unrest. “Banned terrorist organisations have claimed responsibility for the terrorist attacks, sending a clear message that they are not benevolent to the nation.”

Responding to a question, Jam Kamal said there are some elements that play in the hands of foreign institutions and spread chaos in the country under a regular plan.

Further on he said Prime Minister Imran Khan had announced talks with disgruntled Baloch leaders abroad and laid down this responsibility on Special Assistant to PM on Balochistan Shahzain Bugti to move the dialogue forward.

“We are working day and night to quell the resentment of the people who live outside Balochistan and their concerns about political, developmental and backwardness issues,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 22^nd, 2021.