Ali Hamza:
QUETTA: Balochistan Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langau has said security forces responded swiftly to an attack on a convoy in Mastung, with injured personnel transported to hospital within 15 minutes.
Speaking at a press conference in Quetta, Langau said the incident took place in the Mastung area a day earlier. He said the Anti-Terrorist Force (ATF), police and Frontier Corps immediately responded and reached the site, forcing the attackers to retreat.
“We have to think about our children and their future,” Langau said, urging the public to remain vigilant about the impact of violence on young people in the province.
The minister alleged that the leadership of militant groups operating in Balochistan was not acting independently and claimed that some of their leaders were based in Afghanistan. He also strongly criticised militants for what he described as violence against women and children in Baloch homes.
Langau further alleged that militants had taken ambulances from hospitals, saying the vehicles had been provided in areas such as Khaliqabad to help women and other patients reach medical facilities.
“Women request them to return the ambulances because these vehicles are meant to provide them with medical assistance,” he said.
The home minister also rejected the notion that such acts represented Baloch culture, making strong allegations about the alleged links and identities of those involved.
Speaking about security on the Karachi-Quetta national highway, Langau said there was no “no-go area” on the route, although he acknowledged the presence of militants in some areas.
He also praised security forces and the people of Balochistan for celebrating Independence Day, saying the public’s participation in festivities was a positive sign.
“The way Independence Day was celebrated across Balochistan is a matter of happiness for the people,” Langau said, while commending security personnel for maintaining security during the celebrations.
