Announces surrender of 100 militant arms in Dera Bugti, calls development ‘a welcome and positive step’
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti. Photo: APP/ File
Condemning elements spreading false narratives against the Pakistan Armed Forces, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said, “Some political parties are spreading anti-state propaganda while their own children are studying abroad. Our state is more important than politics.”
In 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 organizations. “They have recognized the authority of the state; we should welcome them. When people surrender, extremism in Balochistan will decline,” he said.
Over the past year, 900 incidents took place 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 emphasized 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 an earlier attack on his own vehicle in which two people were injured.
The chief minister praised 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 Pakistan’s military is organized, 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 it is crucial to stop the recruitment of terrorists and cut their logistical lines. “Instability in Afghanistan provides logistical support to militants,” he said, calling it a national responsibility for politicians to counter anti-government narratives.
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“This is not just the military’s war; it is a common struggle for the entire Pakistani nation,” he said. “Discrediting the security forces strengthens the enemy’s narrative. Some parties help the enemy by spreading anti-state propaganda”.
Referring to past conflicts, he noted: “On 9 and 10 May, 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 Prophet’s time, but the truth was with him, today the nation must stand with its forces to defeat the propaganda of the enemy”.
