Balochistan crisis: Nawaz directs ISI, IB to catch Hazara town bombers
Nawaz Sharif assures provincial government of centre's support in maintaining law and order in Balochistan.
Prime minister Nawaz Sharif addressing the media outside the Governor house in Quetta on Tuesday flanked by Balochistan chief minister. PHOTO: PID
QUETTA:
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday said that he has directed law enforcement agencies including the ISI and the Intelligence Bureau to treat Sunday’s bombing as a test case and catch the culprits.
Addressing a combined press conference after a day of meetings with the provincial government and law enforcing agencies in Quetta, the premier said that the acts of violence in the province were not acceptable anymore.
“This [attacks] is not acceptable for the provincial government, nor for the federal government.”
Nawaz said the governor, the chief minister, interior minister and heads of security forces including the intelligence services Inter-services intelligence and the intelligence bureau were present in their meetings.
“The administration here needs to bring improvement in their governance and the authorities in police need to realise their duty.”
Nawaz said that Quetta was a small city of around 20 lanes and that it should not be too hard to secure such a place.
Assuring the Balochistan chief minister Abdul Malik of all support from the federal government, including the best police officers in the country, Nawaz expressed his determination to combat terrorism.
“If we keep fighting them in such a determined manner, we will manage to end the terrorism.”
The prime minister said that he will keep visiting the province to keep an eye on progress made.
Prime Minister has also constituted a task force to maintain law and order in Balochistan.
Addressing a high level meeting in Quetta on Tuesday evening‚ he directed all the security agencies to ensure close coordination to curb terrorism.
Earlier in the day, prime minister Nawaz Sharif reached Quetta to discuss the security condition of the city in the aftermath of the attack on the Hazara community, Express News reported on Tuesday.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Abdul Qadir Baloch, Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Senator Mir Hasil Bizenjo accompanied the premiere on his one-day visit.
On reaching Quetta, Sharif was taken to the governor house, where he headed a high level meeting on the law and order situation.
The governor, chief minister Balochistan, Inspector General Police, IGFC and interior secretary were also present in the meeting.
The prime minister will also visit the injured of the recent Hazara Town blast getting treatment in Combined Military Hospital (CMH).
On Sunday, a suicide bomber detonated the explosives strapped to his body amid a crowd of people near an Imambargah in Hazara Town of Quetta shortly after Maghrib prayers.
At least 29 people, among them nine women and three children, were killed and 65 injured, nearly half of them critically.
A banned sectarian extremist group, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), which has carried out most attacks on the Hazara community, claimed credit for Sunday’s bombing in a phone call to media offices in Quetta.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday said that he has directed law enforcement agencies including the ISI and the Intelligence Bureau to treat Sunday’s bombing as a test case and catch the culprits.
Addressing a combined press conference after a day of meetings with the provincial government and law enforcing agencies in Quetta, the premier said that the acts of violence in the province were not acceptable anymore.
“This [attacks] is not acceptable for the provincial government, nor for the federal government.”
Nawaz said the governor, the chief minister, interior minister and heads of security forces including the intelligence services Inter-services intelligence and the intelligence bureau were present in their meetings.
“The administration here needs to bring improvement in their governance and the authorities in police need to realise their duty.”
Nawaz said that Quetta was a small city of around 20 lanes and that it should not be too hard to secure such a place.
Assuring the Balochistan chief minister Abdul Malik of all support from the federal government, including the best police officers in the country, Nawaz expressed his determination to combat terrorism.
“If we keep fighting them in such a determined manner, we will manage to end the terrorism.”
The prime minister said that he will keep visiting the province to keep an eye on progress made.
Prime Minister has also constituted a task force to maintain law and order in Balochistan.
Addressing a high level meeting in Quetta on Tuesday evening‚ he directed all the security agencies to ensure close coordination to curb terrorism.
Earlier in the day, prime minister Nawaz Sharif reached Quetta to discuss the security condition of the city in the aftermath of the attack on the Hazara community, Express News reported on Tuesday.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Abdul Qadir Baloch, Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Senator Mir Hasil Bizenjo accompanied the premiere on his one-day visit.
On reaching Quetta, Sharif was taken to the governor house, where he headed a high level meeting on the law and order situation.
The governor, chief minister Balochistan, Inspector General Police, IGFC and interior secretary were also present in the meeting.
The prime minister will also visit the injured of the recent Hazara Town blast getting treatment in Combined Military Hospital (CMH).
On Sunday, a suicide bomber detonated the explosives strapped to his body amid a crowd of people near an Imambargah in Hazara Town of Quetta shortly after Maghrib prayers.
At least 29 people, among them nine women and three children, were killed and 65 injured, nearly half of them critically.
A banned sectarian extremist group, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), which has carried out most attacks on the Hazara community, claimed credit for Sunday’s bombing in a phone call to media offices in Quetta.