Civil-military huddle approves terror purge in Balochistan

The country's civil and military leadership on Tuesday approved a "comprehensive military operation" against terrorist organisations in Balochistan in a move aimed at stemming the tide of militancy in the province that had seen several deadly attacks in recent months.

The decision was taken by the Federal Apex Committee – a high-powered civil and military forum on counterterrorism. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired the meeting, which was attended by the federal ministers, chief ministers, Army Chief Gen Syed Asim Munir and senior government officials.

The meeting was convened against the backdrop of a surge in terrorist attacks, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) provinces. A statement issued after the meeting stated that the terrorists were targeting civilians and foreign nationals to scuttle Pakistan's economic progress.

"The participants approved a comprehensive military operation against terrorist organisations operating in Balochistan including the Majeed Brigade, BLA, BLF and BRAS who are targeting innocent civilians and foreign nationals to scuttle Pakistan's economic progress by creating insecurity at the behest of hostile external powers," the statement read.

Pakistan has been battling a low-level insurgency in Balochistan for decades but there has been an unprecedented increase in terrorist attacks in recent months. Terrorist groups operating from Balochistan have been targeting the Chinese interests in Pakistan.

Two Chinese nationals were killed when a suicide bomber rammed his explosive laden vehicle with the convoy outside the Karachi International Airport in October. Majeed Brigade, the suicide wing of outlawed BLA, claimed responsibility for the attack.

The group also carried out a deadly terrorist attack at Quetta Railway stations killing over two dozen. It is believed that one of the reasons behind Pakistan's move to launch a comprehensive military operation against these terrorist outfits is to address the security concerns of China.

China is increasingly worried over attacks on its nationals in Pakistan and is seeking a comprehensive strategy to deal with the threat. The official handout said that the agenda of the meeting centred on "Reinvigorating Pakistan's Counter Terrorism (CT) Campaign".

The participants were briefed on the evolving security landscape and the measures being taken to counter terrorism and other critical challenges, including general law and order situation, actions against efforts to stoke sub-nationalism, religious extremism, tackling illegal spectrum and crime-terror nexus, subversion and disinformation campaigns and other issues.

The Apex Committee highlighted the necessity of a unified political voice and a cohesive national narrative to effectively address these multifaceted challenges. It was emphasised that political support across party lines and complete national consensus were critical to reinvigorating the national CT campaign under the framework of Azm-e-Istehkam Vision.

The forum also agreed to revitalise the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Nacta) and the establish National and Provincial Intelligence Fusion and Threat Assessment Centre.

A whole-of-system approach was adopted, incorporating diplomatic, political, informational, intelligence, socio-economic, and military efforts to address these issues comprehensively. Specific emphasis was placed on strengthening collaboration between federal and provincial governments and between relevant institutions and ministries to ensure seamless execution of the CT campaign.

The meeting decided to establish district coordination committees under the provincial apex committees to ensure implementation of directions received from federal and provincial governments.

The forum demonstrated political resolve to dismantle the ecosystem of illegal spectrum and crime-terror nexus. The army chief reiterated the army's unwavering resolve to eliminate all threats to national security, and provide robust support to the government's initiatives aimed at ensuring peace and stability.

"Every Pakistani is a soldier in the war against terrorism, some in uniform and some without uniform," the army chief said. "We all have to fight the scourge of terrorism together. The Constitution entrusts us with the responsibility for Pakistan's internal and external security," he added.

Gen Asim Munir warned that anyone who hindered Pakistan's security, and "stops us from performing our duty" would face the consequences. He added that the army and the law-enforcement agencies were making up for the shortcomings in governance with the blood of their martyrs on a daily basis.