Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Monday that the state’s bottom line was that “nobody in Pakistan will be allowed to rationalise violence”.
“When you try to rationalise violence or dress it up as a freedom movement — it is not acceptable because it is not true. This is a cover to legitimise criminal activities,” he said while addressing the National Assembly.
Asif made these remarks while briefing the House on the security situation in Balochistan, where terrorists carried out a large-scale coordinated attack on Saturday. According to the military’s media affairs wing, more than 150 terrorists have been killed in retaliatory action.
After Speaker Ayaz Sadiq asked him for a briefing, he began his address by recalling that the restoration of peace in Balochistan had been “disrupted” several times over the decades. However, he maintained that there had been long spells of peace in the province as well, and development work was also carried out in Balochistan.
The defence minister said during the initial decades following Pakistan’s independence, the “overtones of this disturbance had a so-called political colour to them”.
Moreover, he said some grievances also existed.
“Without going into details of whether they were right or wrong, but some grievances also had [undertones] of a nationalistic fervour,” he said.
The minister said elements supported by India were operating as “proxies” in Balochistan, adding that Afghan soil was also used in fanning the flames of terrorism in the province.
“The terrorists’ leadership is based in Afghanistan, and they receive support from there,” he said.
Asif alleged that the “political element in this movement was hijacked by smuggling in the recent, or slightly distant past”.
“Billions and trillions of rupees were being lost to smuggling, mainly oil smuggling. This criminal mafia […] began supporting the movement. And their leadership now comprises these elements,” he said.
The minister added that commodities destined for Afghanistan or elsewhere through transit trade would return to Pakistan and were sold in markets here.
“Our government took strict action to curb this. You may recall that a protest on the Chaman border went on for long. Likewise, in other areas of Balochistan where this facility was available and being exploited, protests erupted.
“The members of this movement would call it a nationalistic movement, but it turned into a movement of criminals and smugglers. They began funding it,” he said.
The defence minister said an opinion existed that talks should be held with terrorists or members of a national movement. He said negotiations with political entities had been held in other countries as well, even with the ones that became violent.
“But this movement, or these people among whom 170 criminals were killed, has no political or nationalistic identity. And their fake covers of being nationalistic or political entities, or a movement for human rights, do not exist anymore and a movement of criminals has emerged,” he said.
He said this movement was being run to make up for financial losses.
“For example, this network of corruption was selling Iranian oil worth Rs60 per litre for Rs200 per litre in Karachi. Those who are running this movement are earning Rs4 billion in profit daily through oil smuggling, which has been curbed. This is why peace has been disrupted there (Balochistan).
“It has turned into a nexus. It has turned into a nexus of the bureaucracy, tribal leadership and criminal elements.”
The defence minister pointed out that Balochistan was the largest province of Pakistan in terms of area, where a single person was residing every 35 kilometres.
“Controlling this is way more difficult than a populated city or area, and there is a need for the deployment of our forces on a massive scale. Our forces are deployed there and taking action against them, but there is a physical handicap when it comes to guarding and patrolling such a large area,” he added.
Asif alleged that the political leadership had exploited development funds in Balochistan along with the bureaucracy.
He said 177 terrorists had been killed, 17 personnel — including 10 of police, six of Frontier Corps and one Levies — had been martyred and 33 civilians had lost their lives, mainly in Gwadar, in a span of two days.
He insisted that Balochistan had seen development over the years since Pakistan’s independence. He claimed that a narrative was concocted about a sense of deprivation in Balochistan, sharing details about the province’s share under the National Finance Commission, per capita budget and its share under the Public Sector Development Programme. But, a narrative of deprivation was spun regarding Balochistan, he said, adding that smuggling in the province was not possible without the patronage of politicians and bureaucracy.
The minister said the system of feudalism and fiefdom had ended elsewhere but persisted in Balochistan. “The province’s resources have been looted under this system. And this reaction is coming from those same people, it is the same nexus that tried to hamper Balochistan’s progress,” he said.
The minister claimed that no other province had more airports than Balochistan, adding that “we are making those among them operational that are not”.
He dismissed the “narrative of missing persons”, alleging that the names of terrorists who were being killed were in missing person lists.
“This narrative has been concocted […] I also used to support this cause and protest over it at the Constitutional Avenue. But, terrorists and criminal elements have hijacked all these narratives,” he said.
Turning his attention back to Balochistan’s area, he said managing such a big province was a gigantic task.
Asif said militant elements in Balochistan had a rifle worth Rs2 million. “We don’t have that rifle,” he said, adding that they also had thermal weapon sights worth $4,000-$5,000. The total gear that have was worth close to $20,000, he said, questioning, “Who is providing funds for it?”
The minister recalled that passengers had been boarded off buses and killed after their identity cards were checked. “From where has this discrimination been planted?” he questioned.
Asif added that the military wing of criminals involved in smuggling was the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which provided criminal elements protection.
The BLA, he continued, had been activated to guard a criminal ideology.
“They are involved in mischief in the world (fasad-ul-ard) […] and talks cannot be held with them.”
The minister added, “It is the bottom line of the state of Pakistan that nobody will be able to rationalise violence. When you try to rationalise violence or dress it up as a freedom movement — it is not acceptable because it is not true. This is a cover to legitimise criminal activities.”
Asif warned that an entire generation was being poisoned, but at the same time, he highlighted that there was no place in Balochistan where terrorist elements had established their writ.
“I want to assure on behalf of the government that no negotiations will be held with these people. The way they are employing brutal force, so much so that they don’t even spare civilians, women and children, the response to them will be made with the full force of the state,” the minister assured.
He said a message of solidarity with security and law enforcement personnel should be sent by the House, keeping all differences aside.
“It should not be the case that a political element does not even offer funeral prayers for their political interests. This attitude is anti-national and anti state,” he said.
Asif appealed that the entire nation should be united on not allowing any criminal gang spin a narrative to disguise their criminal activities and sanctify those acts.
The defence minister stressed the need for the House to unite on the issue of terrorism, adding that not just the armed forces, but the people would also have to play their role on this front.
“Passing resolutions and making speeches is not enough. We must demonstrate solidarity with the boys,” he emphasised.
More to follow
