PM Imran reaffirms commitment to rid Pakistan of terrorism following Kech attack

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday expressed grief and sorrow over the martyrdom of Pakistan Army soldiers in the Kech district of Balochistan.

Ten soldiers embraced martyrdom after terrorists attacked a security forces' check post in Kech in the night between Tuesday and Wednesday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Thursday.

The media wing of the military said that intense exchange of fire occurred in the “fire raid” by terrorists on the check post. It added that the forces repulsed the attack, killing one terrorist, injuring several others and apprehending three.

Taking to his official Twitter handle, the premier said that Pakistan’s brave soldiers continue to lay down their lives to keep us safe from terrorists.

“I salute the 10 martyred soldiers who repulsed a terrorist fire raid on checkpost in Kech Balochistan. We are resolute in our commitment to rid Pakistan of all forms of terrorism,” PM Imran said in a tweet.

Meanwhile, condolences poured in from the political leadership. Expressing his grief over the incident, Minister of Education Shafqat Mahmood said that no words were enough to salute the soldiers’ courage.

“Every day our brave soldiers and policemen are laying down their lives defending our motherland,” he added.

Minister of Human Rights Shireen Mazari also condoled the martyrdom of the soldiers calling them "our unsung heroes".

In a tweet, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz expressed sorrow over the loss of lives. She paid tribute to the families of the soldiers martyred in the attack.

Threat of terrorism

Earlier this month, the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an Islamabad-based think tank, had said in a report that the country witnessed a 56% surge in militant attacks during the year 2021 after a consistent decline in the attacks during the previous six years.

The PICSS statistics showed that the militants have carried out 294 attacks in 2021 in which 395 people were martyred, including 186 civilians and 192 security forces personnel. At least 629 people were injured, including 400 civilians and 217 security forces personnel. Security forces also killed 188 militants and arrested at least 222 suspected militants during the year, the PICSS report had added.

Read More: PPP, MQM-P pledge to 'not give ethnic colour to recent events'

Last week, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid addressed a press conference in the federal capital where he spoke about a recent rise in incidents of terrorism in the country. He said that his ministry had alerted the armed forces and civilian law-enforcements agencies, asking them to stay vigilant.

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif on Friday, while expressing grief over the Kech incident, also warned that the “renewed spate of terrorism is more deadly [and] seeks to reverse the gains we have made.”

“We stand solidly behind our brave soldiers to root out terrorism [and] are proud of their sacrifices,” he added.