Staff Reporter:
QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Monday announced that security forces had successfully foiled a major terrorist attempt planned for Independence Day, arresting a suicide bomber before he could strike.
Speaking at a press conference in Quetta alongside senior officials, CM Bugti revealed that the alleged attacker had planned to target citizens celebrating on August 14. He praised the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), police, and other security agencies for averting “massive destruction” in the province.
The arrested accused, identified as Dr. Mohammad Usman Kazi, is a Grade-18 lecturer at the Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences (BUITEMS). In a recorded statement aired during the briefing, Kazi disclosed his academic background, stating that he completed a Master’s degree at Quaid-i-Azam University and a PhD from Peshawar University. His wife is also a government employee, while his brother works with the Reko Diq project.
Bugti said that Kazi had facilitated the November 2024 Quetta Railway Station bombing, which claimed 32 lives and left more than 50 injured. According to the chief minister, Kazi transported the suicide bomber on a motorcycle and handed him over to another handler near the station.
Rejecting the narrative that militants act out of deprivation, Bugti stressed that Kazi’s family background reflected privilege rather than poverty:
“He himself was a PhD scholar on Pakistani scholarship, his wife and mother are government servants, and his brother is employed at Reko Diq. How can such a person be considered deprived?”
The CM further explained that the Balochistan Liberation Army’s (BLA) Majeed Brigade operates in multiple tiers — from uneducated foot soldiers to women involved in targeted killings, and finally, a “sophisticated leadership” tier, which Kazi allegedly belonged to.
“This is the first time our forces have captured a leader from the Majeed Brigade’s most sophisticated network,” Bugti said, adding that the arrest prevented further radicalization of youth.
He criticized attempts by some political groups to justify militancy, calling it a “fabricated narrative aimed at legitimizing violence against Pakistan.” His comments came a day after an All-Parties Conference in Islamabad, where leaders of JUI-F, BNP-M, ANP, and JI discussed issues of governance and militancy.
Bugti concluded by reaffirming the government’s commitment to counter-terrorism efforts, stating that Balochistan’s security forces would continue to dismantle terrorist networks threatening peace in the province.
