Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said on Saturday there would be “no dialogue in any case” with those who took up arms against the state.
He made the remarks while speaking via video link to the country’s media anchors, senior journalists and other representatives at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat on Saturday, according to a statement issued by his office.
CM Bugti said the war against terrorism would continue in Balochistan until the “last terrorist” was eliminated, adding that it was not possible to control the entire province while sitting in Quetta.
He affirmed that the civil and military leadership were united against terrorism and there was “no ambiguity or confusion” on the matter.
The chief minister noted that security forces were performing their duties in difficult circumstances in Balochistan, adding that state institutions were working in complete coordination in the fight against terrorism.
Before the talk with journalists, CM Bugti was also provided multiple briefings covering the provincial government’s strategy for social and economic development, governance and service delivery, effective use of development funds, and measures to ensure that development projects benefited the people.
A briefing on minerals and mining highlighted the sector’s potential, ongoing projects and measures being taken to develop it and better utilise the province’s mineral resources, the statement said.
The Ministry of Interior and Tribal Affairs also briefed the chief minister on the law and order situation, the Provincial Action Plan, police reforms and progress on the integration of the Levies Force into the police, the statement added.
Bugti was also briefed on the Safe City project, legislation and coordination among law-enforcement agencies.
During the interaction with journalists, CM Bugti also expressed his views on the creation of new administrative units, saying, “If new provinces are to be created in Balochistan, they should be on administrative rather than linguistic grounds.”
On Thursday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the Parliament was expected to debate the issue of new provinces next month.
Speaking to mediapersons, Bugti said he had no knowledge of any “two-and-a-half-year government agreement” for Balochistan, according to the statement.
The decision to change the government had to be taken by the political leadership, he said, adding that his cabinet would continue to serve the people as long as they were in office.
The chief minister was quoted as saying that although he could not claim that corruption across the province had been completely eliminated, it had decreased compared to the past. Measures were being taken to ensure merit in all government departments, including educational institutions, he added.
He said development projects in Balochistan had been completed in record time compared to the past, adding that the provincial government was focused on making the development process effective, result-oriented and aligned with public needs.
Referring to the return of foreign nationals, Bugti said that 1.1 million Afghan refugees, along with other foreigners, had been sent back to their homeland from Balochistan.
On the issue of missing persons, he said the matter was sometimes presented on national media and other forums without proper context, which did not reflect the true picture of the situation.
“Terrorism was not an issue of one province but of the entire country and required joint efforts at the national level for its elimination”, Bugti was quoted as saying.
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