Announces surrender of 100 militants weapons in Dera Bugti, calls development ‘a welcome and positive step’
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti. Photo: APP/ File
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti condemned elements spreading false narratives against the Pakistan Armed Forces, saying, “Some political parties are spreading anti-state propaganda, while their own children study abroad. Our state is more important than politics.”
Speaking at a press conference, CM Bugti announced that 100 militants have surrendered their weapons in Dera Bugti, calling the development “a welcome and positive step”. “The state is paramount. Those who surrender should be welcomed,” Bugti said.
He recalled that the father of former Chief Minister Jamal Raisani was martyred in 2018 and stressed that the militants who surrendered were previously associated with terrorist organisations. “They have recognised the authority of the state; we should welcome them. When people surrender, extremism in Balochistan will decrease,” he said.
Over the past year, 900 incidents occurred in the province, resulting in the martyrdom of 205 security personnel and 280 civilians, Bugti noted. During operations, 760 terrorists were killed.
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“Pakistan and its flag are more important than anything else,” he said.“The martyrs are our pride,” he added.
Bugti emphasised that Afghan authorities had assured the world under the Doha Agreement that Afghan territory would not be used for terrorism. “The Taliban regime has violated this promise,” he added. Two Balochistan officers were among the martyrs, Bugti said, recalling a past attack on his own vehicle in which two people were injured.
The chief minister lauded the nation’s support for the security forces: “The entire nation stands with our brave security forces.” He warned that militancy in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan posed a serious security challenge, but stressed that the Pakistani military is organised, fully prepared, and capable of countering threats.
“The dream of imposing an extremist system is impossible in the presence of the nation and the armed forces,” he said, adding that Baloch youth were being pushed into futile conflicts.
Bugti stressed that stopping terrorist recruitment and cutting their logistical lines is crucial. “Instability in Afghanistan provides militants with logistical support,” he said, calling it a national responsibility for politicians to counter anti-state narratives.
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“This is not just the military’s war; it is a shared struggle of the entire Pakistani nation,” he said. “Discrediting the security forces strengthens the enemy’s narrative. Some parties are helping the enemy by spreading anti-state propaganda”.
Referring to past conflicts, he noted: “On May 9 and 10, the Pakistani nation thwarted Indian designs. During the insurgency in two provinces, defaming state institutions is a dangerous act. Popularity is less important than standing for truth and justice”.
Bugti concluded, “Just as Abu Jahl’s narrative was popular during the time of the Prophet, but the truth was with him, today the nation must stand with its forces to defeat the enemy’s propaganda”.
