High-level meeting reviews Balochistan law and order situation; Naqvi, Bugti visit hospital to enquire about health of injured persons
Following the devastating terrorist attack at Quetta railway station that claimed the lives of 27 people, the federal and Balochistan governments on Sunday decided to take “decisive steps” to crush terrorists with full force.
The decision was taken during a high-level meeting on the law and order situation in Balochistan here at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat. The meeting was attended by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti and other senior officials.
A suicide bombing that ripped through Quetta Railway Station on Saturday morning claimed 27 lives, including security personnel and the suicide bomber, and left 62 others injured. The blast struck when a large number of passengers were on the platform to board the Jaffar Express. According to the initial report by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), the suicide bomber detonated 8-10 kilograms of explosives on the platform crowded with passengers.
The deadly attack drew condemnations from Pakistani leadership and world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Malaysian premier, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
During Sunday’s meeting, the interior minister reviewed the post-blast situation and discussed the measures taken to maintain peace, public security, and the protection of property in Balochistan.
Both leaders paid homage to the martyrs and prayed for the elevation of their ranks.
Expressing complete solidarity with the families of the martyrs, they stated, “The war against terrorism is the war of every Pakistani, and the defeat of our enemies in this war is the first and last option.”
The preliminary report of the suicide blast at Quetta railway station was also presented in the meeting.
The participants of the meeting decided to take decisive steps with “full force to crush the terrorists and expand intelligence-based operations to thwart the nefarious designs of anti-state elements.”
Meanwhile, the chief minister expressed the government’s resolve to defeat enemies who want to weaken Pakistan by furthering their nefarious designs.
Bugti said that further efforts were being made to ensure law and order and reiterated that a handful of elements are involved in terrorist activities in Balochistan, which would be rooted out in every way.
