News Analysis |
At least 7 people including 5 policemen were martyred and 22 injured in a suicide car bomb attack in Sariab road on the outskirts of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan on Wednesday. According to the chief of Quetta’s police, Abdul Razzaq Cheema said that a police vehicle carrying police recruits was targeted.
The dastardly attack was condemned by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who while extending condolences to the bereaved families, lauded the sacrifices of security officials in the line of duty. Abbasi, however, asserted that such incidents will not deter the country from fighting terrorism and militancy.
Pakistani strategic community has long accused India of fomenting trouble in the province by bolstering exiled Baloch leaders to include Brahamdagh Bugti.
Similar resolve was shown by Chief Minister, Sanaullah Zehri who said that the fight will continue till the elimination of the scourge of terrorism. The Home Minister, Sarfraz Bugti gave out important details of the gory attack. He said that the affected policemen were assigned patrol duties in sensitive areas. “The war against terrorism is not over. Balochistan is on the forefront of this fight and we will not stop until there is not a single terrorist left in the area,” Bugti said.
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Balochistan, the country’s biggest and resource-rich province is beset with an insurgency aimed at the secession of the province from Pakistan. However, watchers and analysts point out to the ineffectiveness of the insurgency due to two factors: the military defeat of the BLA /BRA and lack of public support. Pakistani strategic community has long accused India of fomenting trouble in the province by bolstering exiled Baloch leaders to include Brahamdagh Bugti.
In a major Intelligence Based Operation last year, an Indian agent, Kulbushan Jadhav was caught in the act. Later, he confessed of planning and executing terrorist activities inside Balochistan in a bid to hurt the progress of the corridor and the grit of the Pakistani forces.
The province has also come into limelight because of the multi-billion dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC); the project which links China’s Kashgar with Pakistan’s Gwadar Port has been vociferously opposed by India. Delhi calls the passage of the corridor from Pakistan’s northern areas as an infringement on its sovereignty. The US recently also echoed the same concern, redoubling the doubts of the Pakistani strategic community that both India and the US are bent upon subverting CPEC. In a major Intelligence Based Operation last year, an Indian agent, Kulbushan Jadhav was caught in the act. Later, he confessed of planning and executing terrorist activities inside Balochistan in a bid to hurt the progress of the corridor and the grit of the Pakistani forces.
Sarfraz Bugti, however, vowed that the attack will not shake the resolve of the security forces in carrying out their duties.
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Quetta in the line of fire
The picturesque Quetta city is home to one of Pakistan’s prime fighting formations, the Southern Command. Besides, it is also the home of the infantry arm of the Pakistan Army; the School of Infantry and Tactics (SI&T) and the prestigious Command and Staff College (C&SC) is located in the city.
This is the third attack on security forces in the city. In August this year, 15 people including 8 army personnel were martyred in a suicide attack near the Pishin Bus stop in Quetta. Prior to that, a suicide blast in Gulistan Road Quetta had martyred 7 policemen.
Experts believe that subversive forces find many fault lines in the province which makes attacking it very tenable for the sake of optics and other political ends. The security profile of the province has considerably improved but not without a cost for the security forces.
This is the third attack on security forces in the city. In August this year, 15 people including 8 army personnel were martyred in a suicide attack near the Pishin Bus stop in Quetta. Prior to that, a suicide blast in Gulistan Road Quetta had martyred 7 policemen.
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Commentators on Balochistan have established a clear link between the successful WHAM strategy (Winning hearts and mind) of the security forces and the improvement in the security profile of the province. According to pundits, miscreants target the security forces in a bid to shake their resolve in beating back the remnants of BLA and BRA, the organizations which have been weakened by desertions, surrenders, and in-fighting.