ISLAMABAD: In light of recent terrorist attacks in Balochistan, independent Senator and former caretaker prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has called out for all-out support for the country’s security forces and law enforcement agencies (LEAs) in what he terms a “national war” against terrorism.
“This is a national war and not an isolated fight of the Frontier Corps, Pakistan Army, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Military Intelligence (MI) and Intelligence Bureau (IB),” Senator Kakar said while speaking during the Senate session.
His remarks come against the backdrop of recent attacks in Balochistan which saw over two dozen people, including security personnel, being martyred.On Monday, at least 23 passengers were killed after being offloaded from passenger buses and trucks in the Rarasham area of Balochistan’s Musakhel.
Separately, at least 10 people, including police and Balochistan Levies personnel, were martyred in a gun attack in Kalat.
Furthermore, at least 14 brave sons of soil including ten security forces soldiers and four personnel of law enforcement agencies (LEAs) were martyred in clearance operations — launched after at least 37 people were martyred in different terrorist incidents — wherein at least 21 militants were neutralised.
Addressing the Upper House, Senator Kakar said that the prerogative over violence only rested with the state. However, he added, an attempt was being made to “create a gap between institutions” that have been made responsible for violence management by the Constitution.
“The beginning of the victory in this war starts with accepting them [security forces, LEAs] as the protector of our home, locality, province and country,” he said.
Furthermore, he underscored that all necessary assistance, whether on the legal front via the promulgation of necessary laws or on the financial front, all-out support to the security forces and the LEAs including the provision of equipment, narrative building etc.
“This is a war based on a multi-prong strategy,” the senator noted.Continuing on the terrorists’ nefarious objectives, Kakar said that the militants target whoever is standing with the state of Pakistan whether it is the Baloch, Pashtoon or anyone else.
Commenting on Baloch terrorist outfits, he noted that their narrative wasn’t that they were deprived of their rights, but in fact, they claim their separate identity alleging us of occupying their land and that they wanted to break Pakistan and establish another state of their own.
