Sindh minister says minor girl, radicalized via social media, was stopped before she was used in attack
KARACHI:
Sindh officials said on Monday that a major terror attack was averted after police intercepted a minor girl who had been recruited through social media and was being moved to Karachi for a potential attack.
The disclosure was made by Sindh Home Minister Zia Lanjar at an emergency press conference in Karachi along with CTD Additional Inspector General Azad Khan and Karachi Police Chief Javed Alam Odho.
Lanjar said police stopped the girl on December 25 while she was traveling by public transport from Balochistan to Karachi. The officers became suspicious of her behavior and questioned her about her identity, but her answers were unsatisfactory, leading to further investigation by a female officer.
The interrogation revealed that the girl, a schoolgirl from Balochistan whose identity has been withheld, had been radicalized online by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and was on her way to meet handlers associated with the banned militant group.
According to police, the girl said she was first contacted through her Instagram account, where people started sharing content about the separation of Balochistan and alleged oppression in the province. She was later added to a WhatsApp group that circulated anti-government and anti-military material and glorified Baloch separatist figures, including Shari Baloch.
Read: Terror triangle: Taliban, TTP, BLA
In a recorded video of the press conference, the girl said she gradually came to believe the stories shared in the WhatsApp group. She said this affected her thinking, turned her against the state and made her lose interest in her studies, family and friends.
Police said the girl later left her home without informing her family and met a woman associated with the banned Baloch Liberation Army. Officials said the woman further indoctrinated her and prepared to hand her over to a trafficker in Karachi who would have used her in a terrorist act or suicide attack.
Authorities said the timely identification and questioning of the girl prevented a potential disaster.
CTD AIG Azad Khan urged parents to closely monitor their children’s online activity and warned that militant groups were deliberately targeting minors because of their vulnerability and immaturity.
Police said no legal action would be taken against the girl and that she remains in protective custody. Her identity will not be disclosed.
Interior Minister Lanjar said the girl was not treated as an accused.
“Because of her young age, she was misled,” he said. “She gets a chance to reform.”
Officials said the case highlights how militant groups are increasingly using social media platforms to recruit and radicalize minors, posing a serious security risk.
