Better liaison key to tackle security threat: Balochistan Home Minister Langove

Balochistan Home Minister Ziaullah Langove emphasized the need for enhanced cooperation between government agencies and civil society to tackle security threats in his province. During a roundtable conference in Quetta, the minister revealed intelligence agencies had discovered financial ties between certain individuals and outlawed terrorist groups. He alleged that militant factions were generating revenue through extortion, highway robberies, looting and ransom demands.

Langove also disclosed that two Hazara community members were released following the payment of a ransom amounting to Rs7 million. The conference, co-organized by the Balochistan Centre of Excellence, the Balochistan Home Department and the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund, discussed several proposals aimed at improving inter-agency coordination, bolstering social development efforts, and devising joint strategies to resolve local community issues.

The participants highlighted that lasting progress in Balochistan necessitated collective actions, effective coordination, and closer collaboration among state institutions, development organizations and civil society. They delved into security challenges, institutional coordination, social development and public welfare, stressing that stronger partnerships between government departments, development bodies, and civil society were crucial for addressing public concerns and ensuring sustainable development.

According to state broadcaster Radio Pakistan, intelligence operations in Balochistan resulted in the deaths of seven terrorists. Five of the militants were killed in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Fateh Ali area of Panjgur district. Another IBO in the Dhadar area of Kachhi district resulted in the deaths of two terrorists, with additional militants sustaining injuries during the operation.