QUETTA: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday praised Frontier Corps (FC) soldiers who repelled two militant attacks on their camps in southwestern Balochistan province earlier this month while describing them as “heroes” of the nation.
Militants belonging to a proscribed outfit, Baloch Liberation Army, targeted security forces in their camps in Panjgur and Naushki in two coordinated incidents on February 2.
After hours of fighting, the FC personnel in the area not only neutralized the attacks but also killed about 20 members of the separatist faction in a clearance operation.
The prime minister was received by the army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa as he arrived in Naushki to interact with the FC personnel who had fought against militants last week.
“Let me first pay tribute to the heroes that I have just met and who neutralized terrorists and saved other people’s lives,” he said.
“I have come to Naushki today to spend my day with our brave soldiers who eliminated the terrorists who were trying to move toward family compounds in the camp,” he added. “I want to convey this message to the soldiers that the whole nation is standing with you.”
The prime minister also announced 15 percent pay raise for FC personnel and paramilitary rangers, saying the Pakistani nation was confident that militants would never succeed since the country was protected by an experienced military.
PM Imran Khan can be seen shaking hands with soldiers, who participated in the operation to repulse a terrorists attack on Feb. 2, in Naushki, Balochistan, on February 8, 2022. (ISPR)
In his message to the chief minister of Balochistan, Khan said that his administration would launch mega development projects in the province to discourage militant groups from luring young people toward violence.
“We know these terrorists are supported by hostile agencies who are funding and arming them against the country’s forces,” he continued. “After the mega development projects in the province, however, their vicious mission against Balochistan and Pakistan would be discouraged.”
It took about 70 hours for the country’s security forces to clear the paramilitary camp in Panjgur last Saturday after it was stormed by attackers who were equipped with sophisticated weapons and supported by suicide bombers.
The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army’s Majeed Brigade swiftly claimed responsibility for the attacks in Naushki and Panjgur, adding in a statement that its fighters had simultaneously attacked paramilitary camps in the two districts of the province bordering Iran and Afghanistan.
Several Pakistani officials have claimed in the past that militants have been using Afghan and Iranian soil to launch attacks against Pakistani forces in Balochistan. The province’s chief minister also pledged to raise the issue with Iranian and Afghan authorities on a diplomatic level.
The prime minister also told the gathering that Chinese President Xi Jinping promised to initiate more development projects in Balochistan during a recent meeting between the two leaders in Beijing.
“During the first phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the Chinese have invested in road connectivity and power stations,” he said. “In the second phase, however, Pakistan and China will jointly work for the development of information technology, industrialization and agricultural development.”
“The federal government has allocated funds for a dual highway in Balochistan from Chaman to Karachi, the country’s financial hub, to help the province deal with many challenges due to its vast landscape and scattered population,” he added.
