Latest news with #Punjab-bound
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
CM slams terrorists attack on bus
LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif has strongly condemned attack by Fitna-ul-Hindustan terrorists on a bus coming from Quetta to Punjab. She expressed a deep sense of sorrow over martyrdom of innocent passengers. She offered condolences and extended her heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved families. It may be noted that separatists had killed nine passengers of Punjab-bound buses near Zhob area of Balochistan last night. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Another terror act
Listen to article One more gruesome killing incident in Balochistan goes on to confirm that authorities are at a fail in cracking down on the terror nexus. Nine passengers on two Punjab-bound buses were pulled out after being screened on lingual basis and then executed on the highway linking Musakhail-Makhtar and Khajuri. This wanton killing sends the wrong signals in a province that is already teetering under lawlessness and socio-economic deprivation. The outlawed BLA, an Indian proxy, has claimed responsibility for the crime, and the government rightly believes in exterminating such foreign-sponsored outfits. However, the fact is that there is something amiss in taking on such unscrupulous elements, and there is nothing much to do other than remorse after every such tragedy. A coherent political-cum-military strategy to overcome such fissures is indispensable. This butchery on the Zhob-Loralai junction invites some introspection. It attests that non-state actors or their cahoots are scot-free, and have a set mindset to bleed. Secondly, the repeated targeting of a particular ethnic community is probably meant for sending down the message that national cohesion is up for a toss. The government's sole reliance on the kinetic strategy, disregarding the political option completely, has kept the province on tenterhooks, endangering not only the lives of its inhabitants but also the prospects of broader development of the province and the region. The HRCP, and the likes, are right in pressing for a negotiated solution to the imbroglio that is unending and taking a toll in the form of pushing the entire country over the brink as communal cross-currents are being flared through such killings. The grievances of people in the absence of political space and true representation are genuine, and cannot be brushed aside by alienating them. Besides employing the kinetic-political method that also features an unconditional dialogue offer to all the dissidents, there is need to launch an aggressive diplomatic campaign to apprise the regional countries of foreign meddling, and bring them round to collectively work to rid the region of the menace of terrorism.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
70 attacks in 4 days: What is happening in Balochistan?
A few days after the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) announced the start of 'Operation Baam,' around 70 attacks have been carried out across the Balochistan and other provinces in Pakistan. At least four people were killed while 12 others were wounded in a bomb blast in Pakistan's turbulent southern province of Balochistan in May 2025(AFP) The Balochistan Liberation Front announced the start of Operation Baam on July 8. Since then, the BLF has claimed responsibility for 70 attacks across the region. "The Balochistan Liberation Front has announced that 80% of the objectives of its ongoing military campaign, Operation Baam, have been successfully achieved," read a press statement issued by Major Gwahram Baloch, the spokesperson for the BLF. Earlier on Friday, nine passengers were kidnapped from Punjab-bound buses and killed by unidentified gunmen. While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, the Pakistani government has alleged the involvement of the Fitna al-Hindustan. Balochistan's chief minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti vowed "no mercy" for the "terrorists" behind the attack. 'We will crush every single terror plan with full force, unwavering resolve, and complete unity,' CM Bugti was quoted as saying by Geo News. 'We will deal with terrorists with full force. The blood of innocent people will be avenged. With resolve, unity, and strength, we will confront the scourge of terrorism and uproot it completely,' read an official statement from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's office. What is Operation Baam? Operation 'Baam' or Operation Dawn, is a series of operations announced by the Baloch Liberation Front on July 8. As per the official statement issued by the BLF, the operation marks a "new dawn in the Baloch national liberation war." "From the Makran coastal region to the mountainous Koh-e-Suleman range," the BLF has vowed to carry a series of "coordinated and multifaceted attacks against the enemy." "Operation Baam is designed to demonstrate that Baloch fighters are capable of launching large-scale, synchronised operations across vast geography.," Major Gwahram said, announcing the operation. As it continues, Operation Baam has marked the BLF's most extensive attacks in recent years. 70 attacks in 4 days Within a few hours of the launch of the Operation, the BLF had already claimed responsibility for 17 attacks in Panjgur, Surab, Kech, and Kharan. However, after the latest kidnapping and killing, the total number of attacks has been increased to 70. "So far, over 70 coordinated attacks have been carried out across Balochistan under this operation. Baloch Sarmachars (freedom fighters) have targeted state infrastructure, security forces, and Pakistan's economic interests in this strategic actions," Major Gwahram was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. The BLF's attacks have ranged across districts and have disrupted connectivity, train services and have also worked to block key sections of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which serve as a key part of China's Belt and Road Initiative. A day before the kidnapping and killing of nine passengers, a grenade attack in Balochistan's Tubat area injured five people. In a separate attack, a police check post in Sibi was also targeted by BLF forces. Leading up to the announcement of the Operation, Pakistan has also reported a series of forced abductions across its northwestern regions and Balochistan. From students to journalists, several people were abducted, especially from Sindh and Karachi. Another key BLF attack took place in March 2025 when a group of insurgents hijacked a Jaffar Express train with around 400 passengers in Quetta. A total of 64 people were killed in the hijacking and rescue operations, which included 33 militants from the BLF. What is BLF's aim with the operation? The Baloch Liberation Front has been at the forefront of Balochistan's right to autonomy. The separatist group, founded in 1964, has accused Pakistan of exploiting the region's resources and denying its people basic rights and autonomy. After independence from British India, Balochistan was declared an independent state. However, in 1948, after the partition, the region was incorporated into Pakistan. For decades, the Baloch people have sought independence from Pakistan. Citing decades of violence, forced kidnapping and human rights violations, in May 2025, nationalist leaders in the province sought independence and urged the United Nations to recognise the "Republic of Balochistan".
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Bodies of victims killed in Balochistan bus attack sent to Punjab for burial
The bodies of nine passengers who were abducted and killed in Balochistan's Loralai district last night were recovered and transported to their hometowns in Punjab for last rites, officials said on Friday. Assistant Commissioner Naveed Alam said seven of the victims have been identified—hailing from Lodhran, Dera Ghazi Khan, Gujrat, Attock, Khanewal, and Gujranwala—while two remain unidentified due to missing documentation. Among those killed were brothers Usman and Jabir, who were travelling back to Punjab with their family to attend their father's funeral scheduled for 9am today. Sabir, their brother, shared on social media that their father had died the previous day. On Thursday night, terrorists allegedly affiliated with Fitna al-Hindustan gunned down at least nine passengers from Punjab-bound buses passing through Sardhaka area of Balochistan's Loralai district. The assailants checked the passengers' ID cards and reportedly targetted individuals with Punjab addresses. The incident occured near the N-70 highway at a site along the Loralai-Zhob border. Read: Terrorists slaughter nine passengers Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said that the terrorists, who carried out this gruesome attack, belonged to the Fitna al-Hindustan. In May this year, the government designated all terrorist organisations in Balochistan as Fitna-al-Hindustan. The term refers to Indian-backed and/or sponsored terrorist organisations operating in Balochistan. Proscibed group Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) reportedly claimed responsibility for the killings, stating it blocked the highway between Musakhail-Makhtar and Khajuri before targeting the passengers. 'Barbaric act' Condemnations poured in shortly after the attack. President Asif Ali Zardari described the killings as a 'barbaric act' and said that it was part of Fitna al-Hindustan's broader conspiracy to destabilise Pakistan, according to state-run Radio Pakistan. He reaffirmed the state's commitment to cleanse the country of all such threats and their facilitators, saying, 'We will clear our land of Fitna al-Hindustan at all costs'. Similarly, PM Shehbaz condemned the attack in the strongest terms, terming it 'blatant terrorism'. He asserted that the perpetrators would be dealt with through full state force. 'The blood of innocent people will be avenged,' he said, blaming the Indian state for supporting such acts against unarmed civilians. Meanwhile, Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi denounced the killings as "cowardly barbarism" by 'India‑sponsored terrorists and their local facilitators', vowing nationwide pursuit and punishment of the perpetrators. لورالائی اور موسی خیل کے قریب قومی شاہراہ پر سرہ ڈاکئی کے مقام پر فتنہ الہندوستان کے دہشتگردوں کی بزدلانہ کارروائی وفاقی وزیرداخلہ محسن نقوی کی بے گناہ و معصوم مسافروں کو نشانہ بنانے کی شدید الفاظ میں مذمت — Ministry of Interior GoP (@MOIofficialGoP) July 10, 2025 He expressed sympathy for the bereaved families and reaffirmed the state's commitment to thwart all plots against national peace and integrity. Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti strongly condemned the attack as well, describing it as 'blatant terrorism' and an unforgivable crime committed solely based on Pakistani identity. Pledging a severe response, he said that the perpetrators had shown themselves to be 'cowardly beasts' rather than human beings, and vowed that the state would pursue them relentlessly, leaving them no place to hide.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- New Indian Express
Baloch militants kill nine passengers from Punjab in southwest Pakistan
KARACHI: Baloch insurgents shot and killed nine passengers from Punjab after offloading them from passenger buses in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, authorities said on Friday. The incident took place late on Thursday on the national highway in the Sur-Dakai area of Zhob district, said Assistant Commissioner Zhob Naveed Alam. The armed insurgents stopped two Punjab-bound buses and checked the ID cards of travellers before offloading nine passengers and shooting them dead. "Nine people abducted from both coaches have been killed, and their bodies have been recovered," Alam said, adding that all nine belonged to different parts of the Punjab province. The Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), a banned outfit known for attacking the security forces, claimed responsibility for the gruesome murders. "We have moved the nine bodies to the hospital for post-mortem and burial procedures," Alam said. Security forces suspended traffic on the highway and began a large-scale search operation to locate the perpetrators.
