QUETTA:
Security forces have foiled a major terrorist attack that was planned for August 14 by the proscribed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), implicating a university professor as facilitator.
“This was not just an attackit was part of a larger plan to break Pakistan and destabilise Balochistan. Our agencies acted swiftly and crushed their conspiracy,” said Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti, addressing a press conference in Quetta on Monday.
He said that BLA’s Majeed Brigade employs multiple tactics, adding that the group has claimed responsibility for previous terrorist attacks as well.
The accused, identified as Professor Usman Qazi, holds a PhD in Pakistan Studies and was a government employee. Qazi, who is currently under interrogation, allegedly admitted to his involvement with the BLA on video and shared details of how he became associated with the proscribed group.
According to Bugti, Qazi met three individuals linked to the BLA while studying at Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) in Islamabad. He was later contacted by Hebtan alias Kalak and Bugti, who allegedly recruited him for the BLA and subsequently introduced him to Basheer Zaib.
Dr Habetan and Bugti further claimed that Qazi had acted as a facilitator in the November 2024 Quetta Railway Station bombing, which killed 32 people and injured more than 50 others. According to Bugti, the lecturer transported the bomber on a motorcycle to a location near the station before handing him over to another handler.
Qazi was allegedly in communication with Dil via the encrypted messaging app Telegram. In a video statement, Qazi said his first assignment was to provide medical assistance to Dil. He also claimed to have provided shelter to the individual who carried out the suicide bombing at Quetta Railway Station.
Bugti said around 2,000 to 2,500 government employees have come under investigation as part of counterterrorism measures in the province, adding that a dedicated cell has been established to deal specifically with matters related to terrorism.
‘Deprived how?’
Addressing the media, Bugti rejected assertions that Balochistan is deprived in any way. “To those who insist Balochistan is deprived, I ask – in what way was this professor deprived?”
The chief minister dismissed such sentiments as “propaganda.” He warned the people of Balochistan against joining organisations like the BLA, urging parents to monitor their children. Bugti added that the government was taking all necessary measures, in coordination with the security forces, to eliminate terrorism from the province. “We are the state, not terrorists,” he said.
Bugti further asserted that the government would not be intimidated by extremist elements. Those who commit terrorism in the name of Baloch identity must also fall under the ambit of the National Action Plan, alongside other extremist militants.
Balochistan has long grappled with terrorism, with attacks escalating in both frequency and intensity.
Just last month, a passenger bus was ambushed when a gunman opened fire, killing at least three people. Railway stations across the province have also been repeatedly targeted in recent months, underscoring the persistent threat of violence.
